Unseen
by Jadedea
Summary: Star&Rob!Chap7! I'M Back!STAR Laboratories is one of the top genetic labs in the world. Its new experiments with molecular and cellular mutation are said to being the world to a new era... It has been 15 years since the Titans split up and after getting
1. Chapter 1

Hi! I have decided to write a new story! There are some references in here to the shows 5th season, but it's all speculation on my part none of this has actually happened on the show. Don't worry I will continue Faint Secret but I really wanted to this one too. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen titans

**Summary: **

STAR Laboratories is one of the top genetic labs in the world. Its new experiments with molecular and cellular mutation are said to being the world to a new era…

It has been 15 years since the infamous Titans went there separate ways and Kori Anders has started a new life for herself as a journalist for The Jump City Times. But when she is given an assignment on Star Labs she finds that appearances aren't what they seem.

**Unseen**

**Chapter 1: The End Can Only Be Just The Beginning**

**Prologue: Someone's POV:**

_I fell into the cold waters below and it felt as though a thousand needles had hit me all at once. I felt myself slowly drift down and my body felt like a thousand pounds at the current moment. _

_That's the funny thing about life you can never know what's going to happen next. And as felt myself starting to die my life flashed in front of me. But you see… this is not where the story starts. So I remember the beginning:_

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" **_Let the bodies hit the flow! Let the bodies hit the flow! Let the bodies hit the…Flow!"_**

Two cars engines riveted and hard rock music played loudly; making the two noises combine as one. Pit fires lit the night sky along with the old abandoned street. This gang did not like to awake during the day nor did they not waste a night not partying. The gang leader headed in the selling of drugs in this gang. People stood around talking and yelling curses at each other. A couple of people commenced in fighting and threw each other upon the ground but nobody made a move to stop it.

Just another night in Jump City.

The buildings surrounding the cars were old and were abandoned, except for the people currently having sex in them. Two cars stood side by side into the street with only a faded yellow line dividing them. The drivers where eager and pushed down on the gas to make their engines roar. A woman with blonde hair, a short red dress, and black high heels slowly walked in-between the cars.

She held up both hands and winked at the man in the red car. She then quickly moved her hands to her sides indicating the start of the race. She clutched herself as the two cars raced past her.

The crowd cheered in a drunken daze and watched with interest as the drag race took place. The red car and blue car raced quickly down the street madly trying to ram on another into a brick wall. They turned sharply around a corner and the blue car it an old blue mail bin. The driver in the red car laughed as his rival was slowed down. The red car's speed continued to climb even higher as it turned the corner upwards the street where it first started. Then all of a sudden out of nowhere the blue car pulled up to the red car and slammed wildly into it seeking revenge. The driver of the red car lost control and his car flipped several times before hitting a brick building and bursting into flames.

The woman in the short red dress screamed, " Jose!" And started running to the burning car as the blue one pulled up to the finish line. No one made a move to help the man in the red car but laughed at his defeat and congratulated the other on his victory.

Now that the engines of the cars weren't roaring the music was more clearly heard and one could smell drugs in the air.

" **_One nothing wrong with me. Two noting wrong with me! Three nothin wrong with me! Four nothing wrong with me! One something's got to give! Two: something's got to give. Three: something's got to give! Foooooour: Let the bodies hit the flow!" _**the music screamed.

" Someone please help me!" the woman screamed as she tried getting the man out of the burning car but no one came to her aid.

As the music raged on a slim figure of a woman walked towards the roaring crowds of people. She wore a black leather corset and black leather pants with a choker on her neck. Her high heels were black and her jacket red, and had black hair. She had stunning jade eyes and looked on viciously as she walked towards the pit fires and the obliviously stoned people.

A couple of men whistled and called her profane things as she walked past. She reached a stone building at looked up towards the roof were the gang leaders sat. She smiled to herself and walked towards the front door.

As she reached the door a security guard stopped her. " Listen baby I can't let you go up there without your name on the list."

She leaned lazily against the door fame and sighed at the fat black man in front of her,

" Check your list. My name is on there."

He looked down at his clipboard again and asked, " What is your name?"

" Vicky." Was her answer.

" Vicky Cornell." He murmured checking her name off. " Alright your on the list go ahead, baby."

She winked at him as she walked in the door and towards old stairs as she heard him say to another person, " Sorry your not on the list, you can't see Snake, get the hell out of here!"

She opened the door leading to the roof. To her right her saw what looked like a couple of women separating white pills and she frowned in disgust. She walked carefully and confidently over to a group of men sitting at a table playing poker and drinking all different sorts of beer.

One man with shoulder length black hair looked up at her as she approached the table. He took the cigar out of his mouth and ordered, " All of you leave us now!"

The men got up from the table and it was clear they all carried weapons, but this did not bother her. He motioned her to take a seat across from him and she did.

" Vicky you look beautiful." He said looking her over

She leaned forward, " Thank-you. But lets get down to business, shall we?"

He nodded and put his cigar out. " So how much did you want."

" A pound." She answered.

He nodded, " That can be arranged." He gestured over to the women separating the white pills.

She leaned back in her seat and looked down at the street below, " You have a great view."

He nodded, " Yes I just love watching my clients."

" So what's this about anyway? Couldn't you just sell the crack to them and get on with your life?" Vicky asked.

He shrugged, " Yes, but this way is better. Here in the old parts of Jump City there are no police; there is no law. Mark my words one day I'll own this town."

" Yes but the city is not yet yours. And after I take my 'supplies' will the police…catch me?" Vicky asked.

Snake laughed, " No of course not. We've been running this system for years now. The police are fools."

She smiled, " Good to know. I see you have lots of it in stock. How do you get it all here anyways?"

He narrowed his eyes, and looked like he was thinking something but answered, " We send them from Brazil and mark them as food transports made by a private company."

"Smart." She answered.

" Yes it is." He said eyeing her like candy.

" Is there something on me Snake?" she asked coolly.

" No. I've just always had a fixation for the female anatomy." He answered. She rolled her eyes.

" That man in the red car, is he alright?" she asked trying not to put too much emotion into it.

Snake laughed, " Of course he isn't. Don't be foolish."

She looked at him," And you didn't call the police?"

He shook his head and laughed, " Everyone knows the drag racing rules, and if you crash you ain't callin the police. But enough of this vile conversation and maybe we should …go downstairs."

Vicky raised an eyebrow and whispered, " You're cute, but not that cute. Thank-you for you time Snake I'll be by to pick it up tomorrow."

" And I'll be looking forward to it." He answered lighting another cigar.

She smirked, " I'm sure you will."

Once she reached her car a few blocks away she sat down in the drivers seat and pulled off the black wig she wore, revealing fiery red hair. Her alias for this assignment was "Vicky" but her real name was Kori Anders. She unzipped her leather corset and pulled out a tiny recorder.

She smiled, " Oh yes tomorrow should be a very interesting day."

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" _Good to know. I see you have lots of it in stock. How do you get it all here anyways?"_

" _We send them from Brazil and mark them as food transports made by a private company."_

Kori stopped the recorder. She stood in the editor's office at Jump City Times the next morning. Her hair was up in its usual half ponytail and she wore a white suit. She leaned back in the plush chair and smiled to herself.

" You got the story." Eric, the editor, said in disbelief.

" Yup! This is just what we needed to do the expose on the gangs in this city! We've now have this and the notes I took. Now we can actually show the police where to go. I mean these guys have been running for 10 years in the old part of town. It's time to clean this city up! As soon as we publish this we'll be able to help stop gang violence in Jump City!" Kori said proudly.

" And as soon as we publish this, you may become a target Kori. Are you sure you want to do this?" Eric asked concerned.

" I'm not afraid, believe me. Snake is nothing but an egotist whose followers will abandon him at the first signs of trouble. Plus as journalists it's our job to tell the facts." Kori argued.

Eric smiled, " You're my best reporter I just want to make sure nothing is going to happen to you. We'd be lost without you."

Kori stretched, " I know you would be."

" Alright I need the story in by tomorrow." Eric said.

Kori nodded happily, " No problem boss. So what's tomorrows assignment for little old me?"

Eric looked uncomfortable, " The STAR labs conference."

" What!" Kori yelled so loud some people from outside the office looked towards them. " That is so…not an interesting story."

" Yes, even so it's news and we need to cover it." Eric said.

" Yeah but can't you get Greg to do it?" Kori pleaded.

" Greg is busy and so are all my other reporters Kori. Plus you've been working very long hours lately. With this you'll go to the conference and the story will take you three hours tops. Then you can go and get some of that much needed sleep." Eric argued.

Kori moaned and hit her head on his desk, " Fine." She said without lifting her head.

" Good, now get out of my office and go type that story." He ordered.

She raised her head dramatically and walked slowly towards the door.

" Kori?" Eric asked.

She turned, " Yes?"

" Did you go under disguise again to get this story?" he asked comically.

Kori blushed and smiled, " He-he!" And then quickly left the room.

She slid into her rolling chair and opened a file on her computer.

Over the top of her cubical a head peeked over.

" Hey, how did it go last night?" Greg a tall man with blonde hair asked.

" It went just fine."

She opened a small drawer and took out a floppy disk, put it into her hard drive and saved it. She then took it out and put it into her bag.

" I can't believe you still use those!" Greg said looking on.

Kori leaned back in her black rolling chair, " What! These things are awesome."

" I'm telling you Kori it's time for you to get a new hard drive and start saving things on cd disks. Floppy disks are so outdated!" Greg argued.

" I hate technology, Greg! I mean they keep on making new computers and hard drives every six months and every six months you have to figure out how to use all this new crap on your computer that you don't even need! I like this "outdated" computer it's easy to work." Kori complained.

Greg shook his head, " Whatever. Are you going home?"

Kori nodded as she put items on her desk into her bag, " Yes. I need to write my story in a place where no Greg's can bother me."

Greg pretended to be shocked, " What! I'm not annoying!" Kori raised an eyebrow and Greg said, " Well…maybe a little."

Kori stood from her desk and he said, " I'll walk you."

As they walked towards the elevator Kori asked, " So are you going out with Kate tonight?"

Greg nodded, " Yes. I think I'm going to ask her to marry me soon."

Kori smiled, " Good for you."

" Hey, speaking of dating what happened between you and that Chris guy?" Greg asked.

Kori stopped walking and grimaced, " Oh crap!"

Greg put his hands on his hips and yelled, " Kori Anders!"

Looking like a child not wanting to get in trouble she admitted, " I forgot our date last night."

" You stood him up! Again!" Greg said in disbelief.

Kori looked down and started to walk on, " I'll just call him and explain what happened."

" You mean you'll explain that you put work before him again." Greg said sadly.

" I didn't mean to." Kori said sadly.

" Kori you and this guy have been dating for 2 months now, and you've only been on 5 dates." Greg said shaking his head." You need to stop doing this."

"Stop doing what?" Kori asked.

" Using work as an excuse." Greg said.

" I'm not using work as an excuse." Kori said defensively. " I just want to make sure that Jump City doesn't go to hell like so many others have."

" Every story you do like this you take too personally. You're supposed to be objective. It's like you go in for revenge on these people. I know you want justice for their crimes but you need to just be a journalist." Greg said.

" Justice is what Justice does. And I don't take my stories personally." Kori said irritated.

They reached the elevator and Greg pushed the button. The golden doors slid open and Kori got in.

As the doors were about to close Greg stopped them, with his hand, " The superheroes left 15 years ago. You can't be a superhero, Kori. Not all by yourself. It's not your job to save Jump City, you can't bear the weight of the world, that's not _your job_." He then let go of the elevator doors and they closed with a 'ding'.

Kori sighed to herself, " But it used to be."

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Kori hopped out of the taxi and paid the driver. She lived 10 blocks away from the huge building in which she worked, in a small little cluster of blocks containing duplexes. Happy families lived in these duplexes with dogs and little play houses in their tiny backyards. But a few single people, like herself, lived here. They mostly lived here for the neighborhood and because they did not wish to rent out a small, distasteful, and dingy apartment far away from their work places.

On Dearborn Ave, where Kori lived, there was a small coffee shop and a small market. She walked into the cozy coffee shop called, " Dons Coffee." She walked up to the counter.

" Hey Kori. You're home early. Are you writing story at home?" Don, the man who owned both the market and the coffee shop, asked.

" Yup. And I need coffee and fast." Kori answered.

" Alright. $2.00 please." He asked and she handed him the money. He filled up the foam to-go cup and handed it to Kori.

" Thanks Don you're a saint." She said walking towards the door.

" Yes and the church should recognize me for it!" he called after her.

She smiled and walked out. She walked down the cement sidewalks and the colorful leaves of fall fell from the trees that aligned them. Small children who had gotten home from school played with each other and made big leave plies and crashed into them. She smiled and walked on.

" Hello Kori!" an old woman called from across the street.

" Hi Mrs. Johnson!" Kori called back.

She walked up pebble steps to a wooden door with painted glass in the middle. She pulled out her keys and opened up the door. She came into to the main hallway and kicked off her shoes. Her duplex consisted of two floors. The first floor had a kitchen, living room, den/office, and a guest room. In the den/office there was metal spiral staircases that lead to the upstairs, which was her bedroom and had a bathroom. Her main hallway that she stood in now also had a wooden stair case leading upstairs. She walked towards her office.

She opened and let the door swing shut behind her. Her office was very spacious. On the walls were two bookcases ceiling high. Her desk was in front of a bay window and had a sliver lab top on it. There were several filing cabinets on the wall next to the desk. Thought the whole duplex there were wooden floors but a colorful rug, like this room, covered them all. And on the opposite wall there was the metal staircase.

She sat on her chair and turned on her computer. She tilted her head back and looked at the decorative ceiling tiles pattern. When her computer was on she took the floppy disk out of her bag and inserted into her lab tops hard-drive and brought up the file.

She had been working on this story for months while doing the normal stories assigned to her. She rolled her chair over to a filing cabinet and open up a drawer. She took out yellow folder and sat it on her desk.

She quietly opened it up and looked at the newspaper clipping at the very front of all the notes.

**Young Girl Killed by Gangs in Jump City**

**Last evening on May 5, 2005 Michelle Proctor of Jump City left home and did not return. Her worried mother called police around 2:00am and at 5:00am Proctor's body was found 25 miles from her home on the shores of Jump City harbor. Detectives are saying this may be the work of the alleged 'Gangs' in Jump City. But police have no clues or suspects at the current moment. Proctor's mother said her daughter once told her of an underground gang after being sent to rehab for drug usage. Police have disputed this claim saying, " The lead did not check out." **

**Did Michelle run into the wrong crowd again? What happened we will never truly know. All we know is that the under ground gangs in this city may be overrunning this town. Where are the heroes when we need them?**

Kori stopped reading the article and torn her eyes away from it. She took out her notes and threw the folder across the room.

At the moment all that was in her mind were Greg's words running over and over again:

"_Every story you do like this you take too personally… It's not your job to save Jump City, you can't bear the weight of the world, that's not your job."_

She head in her hands and said to herself, " I know it's not my job, not anymore. But what happens when everyone stops giving a shit?"

She then looked up at her story, which had appeared on the screen and started to type.

A couple of hours later she finished her story just as the phone rang.

" Hello?" she asked picking it up.

" Hey Kori it's Mary." The voice said from the other line.

" Hey Mary you weren't in the office today." Kori stated.

" Yeah I know I had a story to finish." Mary answered. " Are you free tonight?"

" Yes." Kori answered saving her file onto the floppy and putting it into her bag.

" Cool want to go to Rosemary's?" Mary asked.

" Sure." Kori answered. " I'll meet you there in ten minutes."

After she hung up Kori climbed the metal staircase to her bedroom. She went to her closet and pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a red tank top with some sneakers. She let her hair down and took off her white suit. After she dressed she grabbed her purse and went down to the front steps.

She had to walk about a block until she got to a street where there were cabs.

She pulled one over and hopped in. After the driver reached their destination Kori paid him and got out.

Rosemary's was her favorite Mexican restaurant and her and Mary would go there often after work. She walked in and went to a booth were she saw Mary, an African American woman, sitting.

" Hey girl!" Mary shouted as Kori came towards her.

Kori waved, " Hey!" She walked over and slid into the red seat.

" So I hear you finally got that gang story." Mary commented as she sipped a Strawberry margarita.

Kori nodded, " Yeah, I did. So how's your going? Isn't the article on Bruce Wayne?"

Mary nodded, " Yeah and Wayne Enterprises too. But I haven't gotten very far with it. Mr. Wayne is…fickle. He is good at avoiding the press and denying every fact. And that adopted on of his, Richard Grayson, hardy ever see him but he is Gotham's biggest playboy. I'm also supposed to be doing a story on him soon. Wanna come Kori? He seems like your type."

Kori rolled her eyes, " I would never be interested in a guy like him."

Mary leaned back, " There's always been only one guy hasn't there Kori?"

Kori sipped her margarita that had been placed in front of her, " I have no clue what you mean."

" That old friend of yours…what was his name? Robin! That was it! What ever happened to him? You never talk about him anymore." Mary asked.

Kori sighed and slunk back into her seat, " Nothing happened Mary. We just lost touch."

Mary narrowed her eyes, " That can't be it Kori. When I met you back in college 15 years ago this guy was all you could talk about. You would talk to him all the time and then…it just stopped. You couldn't have gotten over it that fast."

Kori shrugged, " Maybe I did."

The woman across from her shook her black curls. " No way! I know you just didn't get over him, not after the look you'd get in your eyes after talking about him or to him."

Kori just remained silent.

" Well it must've sucked being named after a superhero, huh? Oh, wait…maybe he was a superhero!" Mary laughed.

Kori just looked up, " He wasn't a Titan, if that's what you mean."

" Do you know what happened to him? Where he went?" Mary asked.

Kori pulled a strand of red hair behind her ear, " No. I don't know where he is now."

" Well…why don't you find out. It could be interesting, you know?" Mary suggested.

Kori changed her laid back look to a one of anger and she said bitterly, " I don't care what happened to him nor do I wish to know."

Mary was taken aback. She wanted to ask more but thought it might be better to change the subject, " Sorry, um, what story do you have for tomorrow?"

Kori face went back to normal and she smiled sadly, " That stupid STAR Labs conference."

Mary's face brightened as she asked, " Did you go to the meeting today?"

Kori shook her head, " No I went home to finish the story, why?"

Mary clapped her hands, " Rumor is STAR is making a merger with Bruce Enterprises! You and I will be working together. It is one of the most biggest stories of the year, and you Kori Anders have got it!"

Kori smiled, " Eric didn't tell me."

" He didn't know till an hour ago. Probably left you a couple of messages on your machine."

Kori's mood improved dramatically as she said, " This is great! I am now looking forward to tomorrow!"

Just after she said that the food arrived and Mary laughed, " Well let's eat."

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**_Heaven bent to take my hand _**

_**And lead me through the fire **_

_**Be the long awaited answer **_

_**To a long and painful fight **_

**_Truth be told I've tried my best _**

_**But somewhere along the way **_

**_I got caught up in all there was to offer _**

_**And the cost was so much more than I could bear **_

She walked up the stone steps that lead to her door. Her mind was else where as it usually was during the night. She hated nighttime, there was nothing to do, one could only think at night. A normal person would love this time of day we they'd sit down after a long days work and watch TV, maybe even think to themselves. But Kori wasn't a fan of TV and would normally jus let herself slip into her thoughts. But thoughts can be dangerous sometimes especially when thoughts turn into memories. Isn't weird how when we're left alone with ourselves and be just start to remember things? Isn't weird how we always seem to remember sad things?

**_Though I've tried, I've fallen... _**

_**I have sunk so low **_

_**I have messed up **_

**_Better I should know _**

_**So don't come round here **_

_**And tell me I told you so... **_

It was begging to become cold outside since it was nearing winter now and the warmth of her duplex was greatly appreciated. She sat her things down on a small table in the entry hall. She walked over to her kitchen and put away the left over in the fridge. She then went up the metal staircase in her office to her bedroom.

When she entered she threw herself down on the bed and closed her eyes. A few minutes she reopened them and took a look at her message machine and saw the red light was blinking.

She lazily pressed it and listened to her massages.

" Hey Kori, it's Eric. Listen we just got some major news: Bruce Enterprises is merging with STAR labs! I'll need you here at 8:00 tomorrow morning. You got that? See ya tomorrow."

Beep.

:" Hey Kori…it's Chris. Listen, um, I think it's best that we don't see each other anymore. I mean, when do we ever see each other? You're always off somewhere. I thought that might be interesting, but I was wrong. I thought that I might be able to slow you down, but it's been months Kori, months of you forgetting about me and making dates then breaking them. I –just- I thought that we could have a future together but I see that's not happening. I'm sorry, just…be good, okay? Bye."

Beep.

" _End of massages."_

Kori rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. She had been expecting the break-up. She treated him like crap. She would've been surprised if he had stayed.

She sat up and looked over to her closet. She stood and opened it wooden doors. Among the mess of clothes and shoes was a small box off to the corner. She removed all the things covering it and took it out. It had been a while since she'd opened this. About 2 years to be exact. She'd open it from time to time just to look at its contents if only for a minute.

She sat back down on her bed and took off the dusty shoe bow lid that read 'Nike'. She peeked inside to see none of the contents displaced, but in the same exact order in which she had left them.

Inside she saw many dusty pictures and a few momentous objects.

**_We all begin with good intent _**

_**Love was raw and young **_

**_We believed that we could change ourselves _**

_**The past could be undone **_

_**But we carry on our backs the burden **_

_**Time always reveals **_

_**The lonely light of morning **_

_**The wound that would not heal **_

_**It's the bitter taste of losing everything **_

_**That I have held so dear. **_

She picked up one of five teenagers standing said-by-side with the hands placed behind their backs. First there was a tall African- American with plated titanium over 90 of his body smiling bright at the camera. Next to him was a short green boy with dark green hair and he wore a cheesy smile on his face. Next to him stood a girl cloaked in blue robes looking monotone at the camera without a smile. Next to her stood a boy with black spiky hair wearing an arrangement of colors and a mask over his eyes. Next to him was a girl with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes that looked like she was about to explode from being so happy…a much younger face of herself stood up looking at her.

She continued to look at it and then placed it by her side. The next one she picked up was one of a huge T-shaped tower sitting in the middle of Jump City Bay on it's own island.

The next one was of the girl cloaked in blue getting hit by a football. The next was of the titanium boy and the green boy being dangled up in midair surrounded by black as the football hit them over and over again, and the blue-cloaked girl smirked.

The next was of the blue-cloaked girl reading alone in the corner.

The next the titanium boy and the green boy playing a video game.

The next picture was of the spiky haired boy on a motorcycle.

And the last one she picked up was obviously taken without the people in the pictures consent. It was of the spiky haired boy and the red headed girl sitting, alone, under a tree looking deep into each others eyes and smiling. She turned the picture over and read the inscription on the back: **Robin and Starfire June 25, 2005. **

She laid the picture down in the box and remembered the day the picture had been taken.

" _Ah-ha I have won the war of the thumbs!" declared Starfire happily._

_Robin grasped his green-gloved thumb and winced, " Yup."_

_She gasped, " Oh! I am sorry! I forget that I gave greater strength."_

" _It's alright. See look all better," he said as he moved his thumb back and forward. He smiled and leaned against the tree. _

" _Friend Robin?"_

" _Yeah Star?"_

"_What is the meaning of the word 'love'?" She asked innocently._

_He sat up and looked at her. " Why?"_

" _I have heard humans often use the term." Starfire explained._

" _Oh," Robin murmured. " Well it's kind-of hard to explain."_

"_Why?"_

" _Well Star, it's difficult because it's something you have to feel." Robin explained._

_Starfire nodded, " So it is like the wind."_

_Robin smiled, " It's like the wind. You have to believe it's there."_

" _Have you ever been 'in love', Robin?" she asked looking into his masked eyes._

_He looked into her eyes also and smiled, " Yes."_

_Being naïve she asked, "What is it like?"_

_His stare into her eyes never faltered as he answered, " It's like the sun set we sometimes watch out on the roof. It's so beautiful so magnificent. It's not like anything I've ever seen before. But like the sun set, at least for me, it's so far away."  
_

" _Why?" she asked softly._

_He used his hands to pull back some strands of hair that had fallen into her face and tucked them behind her ear and whispered, " Because it's so close."_

" _Robin I-_

" _Smile Robie-Poo!" Cyborg's voice rang out as a flash went off._

" _Got him!" Beastboy cheered._

" _What are you two doing!" Robin bellowed._

" _Taking some pictures to send off to the greeting card company." Beastboy answered._

" _Yeah now just kiss her and we have the Christmas cards down!" Cyborg said jokingly._

_Robin's eyes narrowed, " Cyborg, Beastboy?"_

" _Yeah." They answered at once._

" _Run!" he said angrily as he got up from his spot and ran after them. " Give me that picture."_

_As they ran Beastboy yelled out, " You're just jealous because you want some of the money!"_

_Starfire started on confused. And then said to herself, " Robin...I think I love you."_

A tear slid slowly down Kori's face and landed on the face of her younger counterpart in the picture.

_**I've fallen... **_

**_I have sunk so low _**

_**I have messed up **_

_**Better I should know **_

_**So don't come round here **_

_**And tell me I told you so... **_

It had been 15 years since she'd seen him last, since she'd seen any of them in fact. 15-years ago The Brother Hood had plans to eliminate all young superheroes to prevent the future from having saviors. As Titans it was their duty to save and protect the future. So they did and in doing so were spread out all over the world. When they did finally beat the Brotherhood and came home to Jump City found that things have changed and they were no longer needed.

Robin thought it was best if the team split up and tried to live somewhat normal lives if only for a while. Well, a while turned into a year and year turned into years and soon she lost touch with al her friends. She assumed robin had gone on to the Justice League or something but wasn't sure, she didn't associate herself with superheroes anymore. Instead she had gone off to college and received a degree in journalism then went on to work fir the newspaper. Her voice now sounded like a normal humans and her mannerisms were different also. And that was her life so far.

But…Robin had played a part for the first few months after being a Titan. She let herself just remember briefly before remembering anymore.

" _I'm sorry! Starfire please!"_

" _Do what you want Robin…I don't care anymore!"_

She whimpered and threw the picture into the box like it was something vile not to be touched. It had been so long. She didn't like remembering him, the man whom she had fallen in love with. The only man she had ever loved. But when she was alone like this all the memories came back, not even a changed name or a new life could change the past. The past is just something that we all have to deal with.

She quickly took the box and placed it back into the closet and hoped that shutting the door would shut out the memories. She had changed from the naive alien in the picture.

She lay down and without changing her clothes cried herself to sleep with all the memories of hope, love, and hurt playing over and over again.

Yet as she slept a new day came with fast approach and soon her life would change again.

**_Heaven bent to take my hand _**

_**Nowhere left to turn **_

_**I'm lost to those I thought were friends **_

_**To everyone I know **_

_**Oh they turned their heads embarrassed **_

**_Pretend that they don't see _**

_**But it's one missed step **_

_**You'll slip before you know it **_

_**And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed **_

_**Though I've tried, I've fallen... **_

_**I have sunk so low **_

_**I have messed up **_

_**Better I should know **_

_**So don't come round here **_

_**And tell me I told you so... **_

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

**Hi everyone! Okay I hoped you liked that chapter! Okay first let me explain some things:**

**Only Kori knows she was a Titan (aka Starfire) and NO ONE else.**

**Kori and Robin (who, in the next chapter is shown as Richard) do not know each other alias or where the other one is.**

**As you can see Kori shows anger and sadness after the subject of Robin is brought up, which has not been explained yet, nor will it be till I want you to know. (He-he)**

**Just in case you didn't get the message it has been 15 years since the Titans broke-up and Kori still lives in Jump City**

**And like I said before I did use references from descriptions I read about the shows 5th season, the things that happen in the story don't necessary happen in the show. **

**Okay if I get enough reviews I will write a 2nd chapter on this story, and don't worry I will update Faint Secret! I'm going on fall break soon so I'll have time. **

**So PLEASE REVIEW! You'll be my BEST FRIEND if you do!**

**Also if you guys want me to post up the names and the descriptions of the upcoming season or would like me to put a link for it in the story, please just say so in your review. If I get enough requests I'll either post it in this story or in Faint Secret or in both. **

**Later,**

**Hailey**


	2. Gotham's Prince

Hey! Thanks for all the great reviews on the first chapter! In this chapter and throughout the story, as I said before, there are references to the 5th season. The song in here is by Dido and it is called White Flag. And I will remind you: **Only Kori knows she was a Titan (aka Starfire) and NO ONE else. And Kori and Robin (who, in this chapter is shown as Richard) do not know each other alias or where the other one is.** Kori's day will not start until the next chapter in this chapter you will see the day before the press conference Kori goes to.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

**Chapter 2: Gotham's Prince**

_**I know you think that I shouldn't still love you or tell you that.**_

_**But if I didn't say it well I'd still have felt it,**_

**_Where's the sense in that?_**

_**I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder **_

_**Or return to where we were but**_

_**I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender **_

_**There will be no white flag above my door,**_

_**I'm in love and always will be **_

" Get up Richard!" An angry voice yelled as a bright light flooded his closed eyelids.

" Bruce!" a figure under the bed sheets moaned.

" Master Richard I suggest you do as Master Bruce says." The voice of their butler, Alfred, whispered to him as he sat his morning coffee on the nightstand next to the king size bed.

Richard sat up and brushed his shoulder length jet-black hair out of his face. His crystal blue eyes look tiredly forward. The man, who was in his early 30's, looked at the man by the window who was in his early 50's.

" Bruce do you know what _time_ it is?"

The tall stark man with black hair mixed with light gray strands stood with his eyes narrowed looking at Richard. " It's 9:00 Richard!"

" Too early." Complained Richard as he took his coffee.

" Normal people get up at 6:00 or 5:00 in the morning to go to work, like I did today." Bruce said sternly.

" And more power to you." Richard said jokingly.

" Did you see this!" Bruce said angrily throwing a magazine on the foot of the bed.

Richard reached down and picked it up. The cover page read _" Gotham's Prince At It Again."_

Richard smirked, " How very ' Rebel Without a Cause' of them."

" This is not funny Richard. We cannot afford to have headlines like these, especially when we have a merger about to go through. Do you know how this makes us look?" Bruce asked angrily.

" May I remind you Bruce they are talking about me, not you?" Richard said getting out of bed.

" Read the inside." Bruce said.

Richard picked up the magazine and opened it to a certain page while he went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth.

Bruce allowed a small smirk to play across his face as he awaited Richard to finish reading the article.

A few seconds later, with toothpaste still in his mouth, Richard let out a muffed, " Oh _thit_." He spit of the contents in his mouth and strode back into the bedroom where Bruce was waiting.

" This isn't true!" Richard exclaimed.

" Of course it isn't true Richard! You know that! And you also know that press will take anything you say or do and turn it into the cover story. How did you slip up?" Bruce asked.

" I didn't! But, like you said, they'll do anything to get paid." Richard said sitting down on the bed. " We'll release a press statement and say that I did no such thing with this woman. I do not sleep with strippers!"

" I hate to admit this, but you are a damn good business man Richard, no matter how foolish you might be at times. Do I have your word this did not occur?" Bruce asked.

" Yeah, I couldn't have even done this if I wanted to. I had rounds last night. Remember?" Richard said lying back down.

" It's not like we could tell them that, could we?" Bruce said. " Up!" And he pulled the covers off Richard. " I'll be down in the cave if you need me. At 12:00 we have meeting at the office with the head of S.T.A.R Labs to finalize the merger. So be there."

" Why are you even making this merger?" Richard asked.

" You know the answer to that." Bruce said.

" We have no proof Bruce." Richard stated.

" I don't need any." Bruce said finality walking out of the room.

" Neither do I." Richard said to himself before going to take a shower.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

He walked down the grand staircase, in his castle, his mansion. Richard Grayson was among the rich elite in Gotham's society. He lived in the outer west barrier of the city were huge mansions lay next to each other, acres between them. The infamous Bruce Wayne had adopted him at a very young age.

Bruce was the owner of a multibillion-dollar company called Wayne Enterprises. He, to the public, seemed rather cold and insensitive. He hid himself behind work. So of course when he had announced the adoption of his new air many were surprised. They were also surprised that when the boy was 14 he mysteriously disappeared. The press had been informed that the young Mr. Grayson had gone away for school. But then he had returned at age 17 to become a partner for the company.

What had happened at this school of his was indeed a mystery. And whatever happened it seemed to effect his actions now. He'd stay out until the early hours of the morning until the sun rose and would disappear at times. Whether they approved or disliked his actions, or whether they liked him or not, he was Gotham's prince.

But just because this was so did not mean he had a perfect life, in fact it was far from it.

" Alfred I'm going out." Richard said pulling on his jacket.

Alfred came out from the large kitchen, " May I ask where?

Richard stopped and thought then answered, " Wherever the wind takes me."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, " The wind? And Master Bruce knows of this?"

" No, and remember what I'm paying you to say if he asks you where I am?" Richard asked.

Alfred sighed and repeated, " Why no Master Bruce. And what of Miss Katherine calls?"

Richard winced at the name, " And what have I paid you to tell her."

" Oh really," Alfred wined but then repeated dully, " I'm sorry no Richard lives here, he died."

" That's right." Richard smiled walking towards the door.

" Will you back in time for the meeting?" Alfred asked.

"Hopefully." Richard said airily walking out the door.

" Oh dear, let's hope so." Alfred muttered to himself.

Richard walked across the gravel to a large size garage that stood next to the huge mansion. He opened the mechanical door and smiled. " Hey baby." He went up to the black Harley Davison and got on. He put on his black helmet and started the engine, while smiling to himself.

With that he took it out of neutral and headed towards the brass gates. He reached the gates and drove out onto the road.

Meanwhile Bruce, in the under layer of the mansion, heard a motorcycle being started. He rushed up the passageway to the kitchen where he saw Alfred cutting carrots.

He ran outside just in time to see the gate shut then he went back in and asked angrily, "And where is he going?"

" I do not know sir." Alfred honestly answered.

Bruce handed him a fifty, " Well what did he say?"

" Where ever the wind takes him, sir." Alfred answered no looking up from his cooking.

" Well when is he going to be back, is it going to in time for the meeting?" Bruce asked angrily.

" He did not say sir." Alfred answered.

" Damn it!" Bruce said angrily walking out of the room. Alfred smiled after him, like father like son.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

He drove down the tree lined streets and would pass the occasional gate leading to a mansion. He finally got to the entrance to the city and drove up an alley until he reached downtown Gotham. He turned unto Main Street and continued down until he reached a building that was blocked off.

He parked his motorcycle out on the curb and hopped off. The buildings sign read **Club Midnight**. He went through two open glass doors with the letter M on them.

" Rich!" a man called from the second floor.

Richard smiled and climbed the stairs to the second story, " Hey Roy."

Roy Harper was another one of Gotham's Playboys; he was tall and handsome, with red hair and blue eyes. He leaned against a railing and held up his arms in the air, " What do you think?"

Richard looked around there were five bars on the first floor alone, along with modern styled future and tables, and a large dance floor. On the second floor were 2 more bars and lots of comfortable seating, which was marked as VIP. The roof was made of different color glass so when light hit it there was an array of reflected colors bouncing over every section of the building.

" Looks good." Richard said smiling.

" Great! It's almost ready for tonight's opening." Roy said happily. " Never could've done it without you man."

" You would've been able to Roy. You just needed to brow a bit of my charm." Richard said slyly.

" Your charm, my ass." Roy said jokingly. " You've never had charm."

" Oh I have had charm all of my life, Roy. All of my life!" Richard stated.

" Not when I first met you, when I first met you, you were very serious Richard Grayson." Roy stated.

" I'm still serious, Roy." Richard said.

" Sure sometimes, but not that way. You were an uptight asshole who didn't know when to quit. You were also dating that girl, what was her name?" Roy asked

Richard didn't look at Roy " Star, that was her name, and we weren't dating."

" Star! Yeah, Star! I always thought it was an odd name! What happened to her?" Roy asked.

Richard's mind to just seemed to go off in to the floor patterns of the floor below and he finally whispered, " Nothing."

" Nothing? I don't believe that." Roy said.

" And why not?" Richard asked.

" Because you've changed these last 15 years from that 17 year-old that came back here from Jump City. Because I think whatever happened between you and her sparked that change. The fact is your different." Roy explained.

" I was a different person back then." Richard said almost sadly.

" People don't change to different people, Richard, they just think they do." Roy said to his friend, " I have to go make sure everything is stock. I'll see you tonight." Then he went down the stairs.

Richard looked after him thinking about what he said. _I'm not Robin anymore, I'm just Richard now. _

_**I know I left too much mess and destruction to come back again **_

_**And I caused but nothing but trouble, **_

_**I understand if you can't talk to me again **_

**_And if you live by the rules of "it's over" then I'm sure that that makes _**

_**sense but…**_

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" Number 5!" the man from behind the counter yelled.

Richard stood from his small table and went to the front counter to pick up his coffee. He paid the man and started for the door. As he walked for the door her saw, though the glass windows, a tall slender woman with blonde hair wearing jeans and a bright pink designer sweater walking towards the coffee shop.

" Shit!" he said himself as he turned away from the door and walked quickly (practically running) towards counter.

" Ouch!"

" Hey watch it!" people said to him as he bumped into them.

He reached the front counter and looked at the thin man with the green workers' shirt handing a woman her coffee.

He shoved a couple of people away as he made his way next to the next costumer that was at the counter.

" And I'll have a--." The customer said.

" Excuse me sir!" Richard yelled.

The guy in the green shirt looked at him and asked, " Sir could you please wait a moment I'm trying to help this costumer."

" Look I know, and I am sorry, but do you think you could let though so I could use the back door?" Richard asked hurriedly casting a glance at the entrance.

" I'm sorry sir but only employees are allowed in the back, now excuse me I'm trying to help this woman." The man annoyed.

" Um, yeah can I please have-." The woman started.

" Please man! You don't understand! There's this woman and--." Richard interrupted.

" Sir this is the last time I'm going to tell you, please leave." The man said angrily.

" I'll pay you! I just need to get out of here before-." Richard started to offer.

" RICHARD GRAYSON!" yelled a loud high-pitched squeaky voice behind him.

The man behind the counter smirked, " Looks like someone wants you."

" Thanks for nothing." Richard muttered angrily at him, then he turned around with a fake plastered my on his face, " Hi Katherine!"

" Richard darling! How good to see you!" she said giving him a kiss. Katherine Price was one of Gotham's richest women and whenever there was an elegant party Bruce pushed her on him.

Inside he gagged as he gently pushed her away from him, "Katherine, what are you doing here?"

" Coffee silly," she answered obnoxiously waving her hand at him. " So what happened to you at that party the other night? I was telling Mr. Archer all about my trip to Paris and when I turned around you were gone."

" Well…" Richard thought to himself _I ditched you because you're so conceded and obnoxious, talked with the waitress then went home with her and had sex. Good sex._ " I got tired so I went home, thought it would be rude to interrupt you."

She slapped him playfully, " So polite, never true what they say about you in those awful tabloids."

" Sure, whatever." Richard murmured.

" So tonight is Roy's club launch party. And it's invitation only." She stated purposely.

" Yup." Richard said.

" And since I don't have an invitation and you do I was thinking maybe you could take _me_." She said poking Richard playfully.

" No!" Richard yelled making a few people in the shop look at him.

" Excuse you!" Katherine said shocked.

" I-I mean NO time to talk I have a meeting, got to go, bye!" He said hurrying towards the door.

" B-Bye." Katherine said as her settled from his rush past her.

He walked quickly towards his motorcycle. He got on and started it before anything else could happen. _Never thought I'd be happy about going to a meeting._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

It was the tallest building in the whole city. It stood tall and daunting, casting shadow over those of less magnitude. The sign on the front of the building read: **Wayne Enterprises. ** It had over 100 floors and it's gleaming windows gave a person, who was on the ground looking up, an allusion of a sparkling floating palace.

On the very top floor of this floating palace was a large office that took up one floor itself. It looked over the entire city, very house, every business was in the offices view. And this is where Richard now sat on one side of an unnecessary large oval desk, looking bored out on the heavily populated "kingdom" below.

He turned back to the conversation before him taking place between two men. Bruce sat on the front side of the desk with his computer and such things near him, arms folded and concentration plaguing his non-emotional eyes. To anyone else he seemed rather rigid, but knew Bruce was listening to every word that came out of Charles Swartz's mouth.

Mr. Charles Swartz sat across from Richard on the oval table. His attention was focused on Bruce but he would, occasionally, glance at his protégé. He was a stark man, yet very young with gelled and sleek brown hair. He wore a business suit and he gave what seemed to be like an eternal scowl. The lids of his eyes looked almost black as though they had been bruised, but one could tell this occurrence was a natural one and was quite chilling. His presence bore a malicious nature, and came off as grim man and seemed quite devious.

" Do not get me wrong Bruce, I do appreciate much need merger, but I am a…bit weary on what motives you have to join in such a thing." Charles said his seemingly haunting voice.

" Do you mean Charles?" Bruce asked.

Charles smirked, " Just what these newspapers are printing today about my company might give one a… apprehension to join me."

" I'm sure what they print isn't the truth, besides I've never been one to hesitate." Bruce answered.

" True, true. So this is complete, the merger between our two companies. With Wayne Enterprises money our labs will be able to do much more research." Charles said.

"Yes, there's just one thing though. I see that one quarter of the money we're giving you goes to 'projects outside of the laboratories'. What exactly does that mean?" Bruce asked, with what Richard knew with motive.

Charles sat silent for only a second and answered, " Well you know S.T.AR.S Labs does have a savings account. That quarter of the money simply goes back into the company and is used to pay for office supplies and other things. Nothing to worry about old man."

" Good, good. Well since we seem to be done here I won't make you stay any longer." Bruce said standing up.

Charles stood up also and gathered his things and then walked over to Bruce. He shook his hand and said, " To the future, which you've made possible."

Bruce smiled, " The future."

Charles then bid his goodbyes and left the office.

" So do you still think he's up to something?" Richard asked.

Bruce slid back down in his chair, " I've had my lawyers check everything about this deal, about that company seems squeaky clean. But yeah I do, we'll just have to wait and see."

" I don't understand Bruce, if you think there's something up then why go through with this?" Richard asked.

Bruce smirked and answered, " You know what they say: ' kept friends close, …keep enemies closer.'"

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Neon colors flashed all around and beat of the music blasted though the whole building. On the bottom floor hundreds of people danced to the music.

" To Roy!" a woman toasted holding up a champagne glass.

" To Roy!" everyone shouted taking a sip.

" Thanks baby." He said giving the woman a kiss on the cheek. He then strode over to Richard. " So where's your date?"

" I don't have one." Answered Richard nonchalant.

" But I heard Miss Katherine Price asked you earlier this afternoon." Roy said jokingly elbowing him in the side almost causing him to spit up champagne.

" How did you hear about that!" Richard demanded.

" Dude public displays of retardedness don't stay quiet for long." Roy laughed.

" Here did you hear from?" Richard asked.

" My mom, dude. She's a friend with Mrs. Vander lag, who is a friend of Mrs. Archer, who is a friend of Mrs. Washington, who is a friend of Mrs. Cummingham, who is a friend Mrs. Roosevelt, who heard from Mrs. Price, who heard from her cousins mother's aunt, who heard from Katherine that you totally freaked out on her after she asked you to my club opening. Which by the way makes me look a little bad because I didn't invite her in the first place, because you told me not to or you wouldn't come." Explained Roy smiling.

" That's just perfect." muttered Richard sarcastically.

" My dear old mom also told me to tell you that she will be talking to Bruce about you 'unsightly behavior'" Roy told him.

Richard shrugged, " She can go ahead. Bruce knows I hate her."

" Still…that doesn't explain why you don't have a date." Roy said suspiciously.

" Just trying to keep it on the down low tonight." Richard explained. " So you and Kathy serious?"

Roy turned around to face the other way while leaning against the metal railing. " I don't know, I guess she's nice. I'm thinking of, well, actually settling down."

" What?" Richard asked laughing.

Roy's look became serious, " I'm serious. We're not teenagers anymore, man. It's time to think about the future and everything, like kids."

" You want a kid?" Richard asked disbelievingly.

" Not right now, I'm just saying, I'm getting older and so are you." Roy said. " Why don't you want to settle down?"

" I don't know, I… I couldn't give a normal life to anyone." Richard said with a finality that told Roy he needed to drop the subject.

" Well, while you here how bout you go find yourself a girl?" Roy suggested.

" Nah, I think I'll…" Richard trailed off and stared down.

" Richard? Richard? What are you looking at?" Roy asked looking in the same direction as him to see a girl with red hair.

Richard came out from his trance, " Oh, never mind she looked like someone I knew once."

" She's cute." Roy commented.

" Who is she?" Richard asked interested.

" Hell if I know, the girl with her though is that hot journalist I told you about who's doing a story on you." Roy said. " Why don't you go say 'hello'?"

" Nah, I've got to go. I see you later. Great club, by the way." Richard said walking down the VIP stairs.

He walked closer to where he saw the red headed girl. When he reached the bar he still had no luck in finding her so he sat down. About to give up he looked in the mirror above the bar to see the woman sitting two chairs down from him drinking a martini.

He stood to go talk to her when another man came and sat down next to her. " Hey I notice you're all alone of here, I was wondering if I may offer my services."

Red headed woman rolled her eyes, " your services are not need."

Ignoring what she had said he said, " So I got you another martini." And he sat it down in front of her. " So where do you work?"

She got a look of frustration on her face," Look buddy! I'm not interested! So bug off!"

" I like a girl who plays hard to get." The man said smiling.

She turned to look angrily at him, " I--."

" Hi honey." Richard said coming up behind her and putting his arms around her.

She snapped her head back in shock and then saw what he was trying to do, " Hey baby."

" Hi I'm Richard, you must be Pompous Asshole." Richard introduced himself to the arrogant man, which made the woman chuckle.

" Yeah, yeah." The man muttered as he walked away.

Richard unwrapped his arms and held out his hand, which the woman shook, " Hi I'm Richard Grayson. Sorry about that, but I noticed you were in a situation there."

" I'm Kori Anders." She said smiling, " Thanks, I hate guys like that."

" Wait, you're Kori Anders…the journalist?" Richard asked.

" Yeah," she smiled impressed that he knew her, " And you're the infamous Richard Grayson?"

" Yeah." Richard answered smiling." So, uh, since I'm you're savior and all would you care to dance."

She smiled and shook her head, " Thanks, but no. I really appreciate what you did but you're just not my type."

Richard was dumbfounded and merely said, " Oh."

" Well I have to go." Kori said standing. " It was nice meeting you." Then she walked past him leaving the sent of vanilla in her wake.

Richard stared on in shock and awe. She was the first girl ever to reject him.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" Jack-pot!" a masked man cheered as he opened a glass case.

" Dude hurry it up! We don't have all day!" a huskier voice of another masked man said from behind him.

" Man, you cannot, rush a master at his work." The other masked figure said as he slowly lifted a diamond from its case and put it into a velvet bag.

" The cops are going to be here any minute." The husky voice said. " Or something worse."

" Don't tell me you believe in that Batman and Nightwing crap!" the other said as he stood from the glass case. " Alright I'm ready to go."

He held up the velvet bag and smile, just in time to see the other man's eyes go wide. " What dude? Do I have something in my teeth?"

" No!" the other man whimpered.

" Then what the hell are you gawking at?" the other demanded.

The other man pointed up at the ceiling and when he turned came face to face with a black figure that had a blue bird across his chest. His white masked eyes gleamed in the darkness and he looked like a demon for a moment. But that was soon proven to be false when the rest of the mans face appeared.

The burglar froze in his step.

" Boo!" the black figure said.

" N—Nightwing!" the masked man said surprised.

" Y-y-yeah." Nightwing said coolly before his legs swung down and kicked the guy out the glass window. He let go of the pipe he was holding and landed on the ground just in time to catch the velvet bag the burglar dropped.

He then turned to the other masked man, " I suppose you're going to say you had nothing to do with this?"

The burglar took out a gun, " Stand back or I'll shoot!"

Nightwing raised his hands in the air, " Go ahead, I dare you to."

The man didn't shoot instead he said, " Give me the bag!"

Nightwing lowered his hands disappointed, " One: if you were going to make one demand I would hope it would be not to send your friend to jail. And two: No."

" Give me it!" the man demanded with the gun still pointed at Nightwing.

" No." Nightwing said.

" Then have it your way." The man said as he started to take fire.

The world seemed to go in slow motion. Nightwing bent backwards to avoid the first few bullets, landed on his feet, then took out his bo-staff and twirled it so fast the bullets bounced off it.

The man then realized he was out of bullets and dropped the gun, " I'm sorry." He said in his defense.

Nightwing smiled and then threw a right hook at him knocking him out. He heard police approaching and picked up the man.

A few minutes later Officer Davis stepped out of his squad car.

He took out his gun and pointed it at the store, " Come out with your hands up!"

" Owwww, my head." A voice moaned from the ground.

" Davis looks like we've found our guys!" his partner called kneeling next to two tied up men.

Davis walked up to the two tied up me with m bag on their backs. He opened it and smiled, " Planning to steal some diamonds were we?"

" Damn that Nightwing." One of them moaned.

Davis smiled, " Put them in the car. Boys' looks like we get to go on a trip together."

**_I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender _**

**_There will be no white flag above my door,_**

_**I'm in love and always will be **_

_**And when we meet, which I'm sure we will **_

_**All that was there, will be there still **_

_**I'll let it pass, and hold my tongue **_

_**And you will think, that I've moved on... **_

He jumped from roof to roof. He finally stopped at Gotham's biggest, and only, clock tower. He looked out at the whole city; this view was better than the one from the office. He could see the ocean from here and the stars.

It's funny, how man one can have two different identities. One a prince, and the watcher of the night, both false. The truth is for 15 long years and even before that he never knew who he really was. In a world surrounded by people he was ultimately alone. But it hadn't always been this way.

At one time in his life there was happiness, but never peace. The only time he found peace is…with her. Starfire...that was her name, she had a name of an angel. They were part of a team called the Teen Titans, but after all the superheroes in the world were saved and brought into their abilities their job as protectors were done. He had been the leader and dismissed them to lead normal lives, if only for a while. But time past first as weeks, then months, then years, and soon he didn't even know where his friends where, where Starfire was.

He had loved her. He told her so once before… before it happened.

" _I'm sorry Star." Robin said trying to console her. " This is just the way it has to be."_

" _No! This is how you are making it be!" yelled Starfire_

He shook his head, memories like that were useless to him now.

He looked at moon; it had been awhile since he had stopped to look at the world around him. Born and raised was he, the son of two acrobats, and the adoptive son of a multibillionaire. He was a superhero who had given everything he had for so long.

**_I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender _**

_**There will be no white flag above my door,**_

_**I'm in love and always will be **_

There had been many times in his life that Richard had to give up something so important to him that people would think he would fall apart. And maybe he had. Not on the outside, but on the inside, in his heart. There were times when he, himself, would even doubt if he had much of a heart left, even if it was only was being used to pump his blood. But then, in his dreams, he'd see Starfire's face and hear her laugh and could feel her touch and when he awoke knew that something had to be there.

And that girl at the club tonight, the one with red hair, had, for just a moment, been her. But it couldn't possibly be her, the Starfire he knew wouldn't go to a club and she looked a bit different also. Even if she wasn't Star, there was still something uncanny about this woman. Maybe it was because she had rejected him, but something was telling him that wasn't it.

**_I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender _**

**_There will be no white flag above my door,_**

_**I'm in love and always will be **_

_**I will go down with this ship and I won't put my hands up and surrender **_

_**There will be no white flag above my door,**_

_**I'm in love and always will be **_

The thing that was telling him that she was different was also telling him he should get to know her better. But no matter the woman, that something also told him he'd always love Starfire, to the end of the universe and back.

He jumped down from the roof and landed on his feet. He looked down and, if by fate, a Jump City Times newspaper laid on the ground.

He picked it up and read the headline: **Jump City's Gangs? **By Kori Anders, Staff Writer.

A picture of the redhead beauty lay under it.

Richard/ Nightwing smiled to himself, " Kori Anders, huh?"

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**Hi I hope you liked this chapter! PLEASE REVIEW! I love you! I give you cookie!**

**Well I think the new season of TT is doing great! And can't wait for the next ep on Sat!**

**Just to clarify, Roy does not know Richard was a teen titan, nor does he know he is Nightwing. Also Richard does not know Kori is Starfire and Kori does not know that Richard is Robin.**

**As for the next chapter you will see another, short, encounter between Richard and Kori, but it will mostly be about the villain of the story. In fact the next chapter should be entitled The Villain. And you've already met him in this chapter but it will go deeper into his plan and who he is.**

**And just because you guys are so great, here are some one-line teasers:**

" _**Welcome to S.T.A.R Labs! Welcome to the future!"**_

" _**Funny, running into you here."**_

" _**No one can ever know what we're doing here."**_

**Till next time,**

**Hailey**


	3. The Villain

Hi! OMG! My lab top totally crashed now I'm forced to use my moms! Please forgive the delay. Thanks for all the great reviews I really appreciate it. Now here is chapter 3:

Disclaimer: The Teen Titans own me not the other way around.

**Chapter Three: The Villain**

" Hi everyone! I'm Charles Swartz C.E.O. of S.T.A.R. Labs. Welcome!" said a tall man with slick brown behind a podium. Under his eyes were dark circles, but replacing his natural scowl was a smile.

The modest stage was built in the wake of a huge building structure. Below sat a alignment of formal lawn chairs with eager people sitting in them.

In the first row sat the reporters who had come out for the occasion. Each held a microphone and recorder in their hands. Behind some, who had come from the TV stations, stood camera men recording the live action for the audience at home.

Behind the reporters were various people who worked at the huge developed facility. Others were " special interest" and came to see why S.T.A.R had come back on the map.

On the stage behind Mr. Swartz sat several chairs. In one was the infamous Bruce Wayne looking straight ahead and basically expressionless at the crowd. Next to him was the young Richard Grayson with a more expressional look on his face--- a bored one. On the other said of Richard sat a Asian- American woman with long black hair and glasses on smiling at the crowd.

" Thank-you ladies and gentleman for being here today." Mr. Swartz said in his daunting yet somewhat ironic cheerful voice at the crowd. From their point of view he was an impressionable man. He stood tall with slick brown hair and slight scowl. He wore a typical black suit and tie. The new C.E.O of S.T.A.R Labs.

" It's been a long time, almost 10 years in fact, since the labs have been open. Once upon a time there was man with a dream. This man's name was Garrison Slate. What was his dream? His dream was to have a nation wide chain of research labs unconnected to the government, so it's facilities would be free to do research without interference from any outside forces. A perfect place where scientists from all around the world could meet and with all their combined information, conduct experiments to better help mankind. He built this magnificent structure to hold his dreams and the dreamers who worked inside. For years S.T.A.R. Labs was on the cutting edge of medical and computer technology. For year our security satellite circled the globe keeping Earth's peoples safe from any harm. We were the ones the world looked to for answers to questions never answered before. We were the leaders coming into the new millennium."

" Sadly all plans have their faults. After a fatal error in our networking systems our security systems went down, causing accidents, computer and nuclear breakdown across the world. As a result several million people died. Garrison Slate killed himself soon after…he just felt too responsible. After the incident the government had to step in, and they shut us down. It was…more than a disappointment."

" But let us not dwell in the past, but look forward to the future. Thanks to Mr. Bruce Wayne, me, and many former staff we are able to re-open. New and approved S.T.A.R Labs is back on the map! We are, now more than ever, on the cutting edge of technology. Our new experiments and computer programs have made us even more advanced than before."

" So it is now that I ask the public to forget the past, to let us back into your homes. Help us help you. We will continue to serve as we always have with the same goal: to help mankind with new technologies, to help improve the lives of each human being in the human race." He finished.

A man arose from the left hand corner of the stage where a small seat sat and went to the podium.

" Mr. Swartz will now be taking questions from the press." the man said before sitting down.

One reporter with black hair stood up and asked, " Mr. Swartz can you give us any details on your merger with Wayne Enterprises?"

Charles half-smiled, " Well of course I can. The merger with Mr. Wayne and his company has given our facilities here more money to sponsor our programs. The merger with Wayne Enterprises means that Bruce Wayne gets to be a co- CEO and manages some of the projects that go on here."

" Mr. Swartz!" another called.

He pointed, " Yes?"

" Mr. Swartz at the time Garrison Slate ran S.T.A.R. there were rumors going about that the lab was doing secret testing unknown to the public, is this true?"

Mr. Swartz looked somewhat annoyed but then half smiled once more, " No those rumors were merely speculation on the part of outside forces. They were completely untrue."

" Then you do deny that the system failure in the first security system was indeed a unfortunate accident? That Mr. Slate had not done it purposely. " the reporter asked.

Mr. Swartz laughed hearty, " Dear girl of course it wasn't. Whatever made you think otherwise? What is your name?"

" Name's Kori Anders and I'm just a curious person." she answered smiling.

Mr. Swartz laughed under his breath, " Why Miss Anders don't you know? Curiosity _killed _the cat."

" I'm sorry but that's all Mr. Swartz will be able to answer this afternoon." said the man whom had risen to the podium.

Charles nodded, " Thank-you. Welcome to S.T.A.R. Labs! Welcome to the future!" he said waving his hand as he left the stage.

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" Bruce, it was nice of you to come today." Charles said shaking his hand.

" Excited to be here." Bruce answered.

" I'm sorry but you must excuse me I have many meetings today." Charles apologized.

" It's fine I must be going too. See you soon." Bruce said goodbye.

Bruce turned away from Charles. " Come Richard. We have work to do."

" Coming." his young protégé lazily answered as she searched through the crowd finally finding his target in a pair of jeans and a silk black shirt.

" Funny running into you here." he said coming up on a young red headed woman.

She turned and raised her eyebrow, " Richard Grayson."

He smiled, " Kori Anders. Are you stalking me?"

" I could ask you the same question." she answered picking up her bag. " Wow two times in two days. Seems like everywhere I go your there."

She started to walk past him and he followed then said, " You know what that means don't you?"

" No what does it mean?" she asked annoyed.

" It means fate wants us to go out on a date." he said coolly.

" Wow, I thought you were the last person to believe in that kind of stuff." she answered dryly.

" I don't, I believe in what I want. And what I want is to go have some dinner with you." he said. " So how bout you take that stick shoved up your ass and say yes already?"

She stopped and looked at him disbelievingly then said sarcastically, " You know how to really impress a girl don't you?"

He smiled, " I'm with the best of them."

She put her hands on her hips, "Something tells me that you'll just keep asking until I say yes. Am I right?"

He laughed, " Now you're catching on."

" And if I were to say yes what then?" she asked cautiously.

" Then I would say I'd pick you up at 8:00pm tomorrow." he answered.

" Well that's not possible, I told you before I'm not interested." she answered.

" Has anyone ever told you you're a tease? Besides how do you know your not interest if you don't give me a chance." Richard said slyly.

" I don't know I might be busy." she said lightly.

" Alright. You're doing a story on me and everything so I'll give you an interview when we go out." Richard said.

She raised her eyebrow, " Really. During dinner?"

Richard made a cross motion over his heart, " Cross my heart hope to die."

" Fine." she said finally.

" Good. Then I'll pick you up at eight. By the way please don't cross examine me like you did Charles. I'd be careful of how I talk to certain people if I were you." he said jokingly.

" Don't worry I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." she answered. She turned away from him and started to walk the other way. " My taxi is this way."

" And my limo is this way." he said pointing to the other direction. " See you tomorrow night."

She waved back lazily and kept walking.

" Hey!" he called out.

She turned around, " What now!" she called back.

" Do _you_ believe in fate?" he called.

She smiled mischievously and shrugged her shoulders, " I don't know, what do you think?"

Before he could answer her she was gone. Almost as if she had flown away with the wind.

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" Mr. Swartz you have a meeting with the investors in three minutes." said Diana.

" Thanks but I knew. How do think I was out there?" He asked fixing his tie while sitting in his seat.

The tall Asian American woman pushed her glasses up and put her long black hair into a pony tail while answering, " Convincing, you almost convinced me even." She wore a long white overcoat with a black knee length skirt and long sleeve purple silk shirt under with black high heels.

The skin under Charles's eyes seemed to grow even more darker now then when he was in front of the public. He smiled a twisted smile, " Good. Go ahead and bring them in."

She nodded and went to a oak wooden door. She opened it and said inconspicuous words in some different languages. She then swung the door open and held it while a group of four men can into the room.

Charles stood from his desk and addressed them.

" Hello Mr. Chang." he said to Asian American man with black short hair.

The man bowed, " Very nice to see you Mr. Swartz."

Charles nodded and went of to a man from Africa, " Hello, Dr. Zebu."

" Hello." he said back with deep voice.

He then went to an man from Russia, " Hello Schgoff." The blonde headed man nodded in return.

Finally he went to a brown haired man from England, " Hello Mr. Dubose."

" Nice to see you good man." was the reply.

" Please sit." instructed Charles pointing to four seats opposite him at his desk.

They all sat down and Diana took their coats.

" This is my top researcher in Area 292. She is here today to help explain the program to you." he said and she smiled.

" Mr. Swartz you've invited us all here today telling us that we were in for the surprise of a lifetime, what I sit?" Mr. Chang asked.

Charles smiled and leaned back in his leather seat. He put his black shoes up on the table and said, " Look at my shoes. They are clean, very clean. So clean I can see myself in them. Don't you agree gentlemen?"

He received no answer but confused looks.

H continued, " Yes they're good shoes, cost me a lot of money. They're really wonderful they really are, they're sturdy." he tapped his foot against the desk. " But do you know what is wrong with these wondrous pair of shoes?"

Still no answer.

" What's wrong with these pair of shoes, is that they are like every other pair of shoes in the world. And (although they may be dressed up and studier than any other pair I've ever owned) they will, like every other pair of shoe ever made, will wear out and eventually be of no use to me at all."

" Yes, the fibers will ware down. They will grow weary and tired. Soon afterwards they'll become almost defiant to my feet and have holes in their soles. Yes, one day it will happen and when it does what will I have to show?"

" What if I told you I could make a pair of shoes that would never wear out. They would never grow tired or have holes. They will be able to be used for much longer than the average shoes."

" But of course I have not called you all here for a mere pair of foot wear. No, that would be absolutely ridiculous."

He stood and motioned the others to follow him out the door. They stood and walked hesitantly behind him. They walked out into his office's hallway and to one section of wall. Diana walked past them all and tapped three times. Soon a keypad emerged from it and she typed in a code. The wall opened up to show a glass elevator and they were al ushered in.

Once in Charles use a card he got from his pocket and slid it through a card swipe. It opened a small black box with a button inside. He pushed it and the glass elevator started to move downward.

With this Charles continued his explanation. " Now what if I were able to create a solider like those pair of shoes? A soldier that could endure and survive every disease known to man? A solider that would never wear out. A solider with incredible strength and agility. A solider with an incredible I.Q., matching even the greatest scientists? And most of all a solider that would obey your every command?"

" Mr. Swartz have you created some type of machine?" Mr. Zebu asked.

Charles snickered, " Farthest from it doctor. Come and I'll show you." he said as the glass doors opened.

Their eye went wide, with the exception of Charles and Diana. They had entered a small room with many control panels. At several stations people worked with various chemicals.

But what really caught their attention was what the room was facing. It was facing, by a one-way mirror, a large dome. Inside the dome the walls were colored pink. There was a small bookshelf filled with children's books. In one corner there was a small bed with a unicorn bedspread. In the opposite their was a small chair with various stuffed animals in a net hanging over it and a small record played next to it. In the middle sat a child's tea set table with a small girl with long black hair and bright blue eyes sat sipping some tea.

The men all gasped.

" Everyone this is Mia." Charles introduced the small girl.

" A child?" Mr. Dubose asked shocked.

" I'll let Diana explain. Diana?" he said.

She stood his place in front of the men.

" When subject 001, Mia, was born her DNA was found to differ from a normal human beings. Her parents worked here at the original S.T.A.R Labs and brought her to Charles and I for inspection. Sadly they died in an unfortunate car accident just a few months later, Mia has been here ever since."

" We have found that Mia has evolved. Her DNA structure is different. While normal DNA strands consist of the base pairs A,D,G,C with AD and GC, we found a new bases in her DNA. In her system there are base pairs A,B,N,C with AC and BN. In the normal human DNA structure one purine goes with one pyramidine. In normal DNA The purine Adenine (A) joins with pyramidine Thiamine (T). And purine Guanine joins with pyramidine Cytosine (C ). We've determined that in her DNA the base Byotine is a purine and the base Nicotine is a pyramidine. Like I said in her system AC and BN which means that a purine joins with a purine and a pyramidine joins with a pyramidine. In normal DNA this joining will not allow the strands to join together forming a double helix. But in Mia's it does."

" We have determined that Mia's genetic information is very different than a normal humans. Although she may look like a normal seven year old girl Mia is non-responsive to every know disease making her immune system inhumanly strong. Her skin is normal but once penetrated has the thickness of steel. She ages slower than most children, while it takes a year for a child to turn another year older, it takes her a year and a half. She is also very intelligent and her brain activity is higher than nay other child her age."

" A few years ago we found a way to transmit her DNA into developing embryos through a project called MGA or Molecular Genetic Alteration . Through this process we take strands of Mia's DNA and eject them into developing embryos in a woman womb. The growing baby, within the womb, DNA will mutate to form to DNA like Mia's . when the child is born it will have the same qualities."

" This is all good and fun, but what does this have to do with us?" Mr. Chang asked.

Charles spoke this time, " If we continue to revolutionize embryos in the future we will have unstoppable armies. All of you gentlemen here are among the top leaders of your countries. From doctors to military leaders all of you can take control of this opportunity."

" Opportunity for what?" Mr. Schgoff asked.

" To take control. I've called you all here today to take what is justly ours…the world. Each of us has opportunity and the ambition to run countries. And with S.T.A.R back on the map and in the good graces of the public once more we can do it. We can build a super army like this world has ever seen."

" But how will be able to get people to agree to this?" Dr. Zebu asked.

" Easily, we don't tell them. Within the next couple of weeks I am prepared to address the Nation Board of Health introducing S.T.A.R Labs latest break medical through… a procedure done during pregnancy that will assure the baby's health along with treating different forms of disease, such as heart disorder, while in the womb. When it is approved many women all over the country will come to one of S.T.A.R.'s medical offices so conveniently located across the nation. You gentlemen will also address your countries to introduce the process too and soon we will be able to do MGA without the public's knowledge. But, unlike Mia, we will eject into the DNA a artificial mRNA so at a moments notice when the child is older, 18 or so, they will enlist in our militaries and when activated will obey our every command." Charles said.

" Won't people notice the difference in their children?" Mr. Chang asked.

" No, because every generation is different. This generation of children are shorter than the last. Go out to the mall, you'll see a big difference between teenagers of today and yesterday." Charles reasoned.

" Does Bruce Wayne know about this?" asked Mr. Schgoff.

Charles let out a burst of laughter. " That's the best part! The all mighty Bruce Wayne does not know that the merger between our two companies has assured MGA's future. He thinks all the money he gives goes to other experiments when it really it goes here. He's had a tour of the place but has never seen this nor will he ever."

" So gentlemen have you brought your check books?" Charles asked.

They all nodded.

" Well then time to place your orders of how much DNA you want." Charles said oddly happily.

The men all started back up to the office but Mr. Dubose held back and asked Charles, " Is this right, forcing evolution?"

" Of course it isn't." Charles answered darkly.

" So it is a bit like playing God then?" Mr. Dubose asked.

Charles looked thoughtful and patted him on the back, " Dr. Frankenstein played God once…he brought someone back from the dead. Have you ever read that book?"

Mr. Dubose nodded his head, " Yes."

" Then consider me Dr. Frankenstein." Charles said darkly walking him into the elevator

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A couple of hours later the elevator door opened once more and Charles stepped out with a small box in his hand.

" Good evening Diana." he greeted her.

" Evening Charles. Did they invest?" she asked looking under a microscope.

" Of course they did. They invested millions. Our plan is working." he said darkly walking over to her. " Once the first army is raised I will turn on them, kill them, and take their armies for myself. And then I will achieve my dream…I will rule this Earth and everything on it. And the best part is that even the bad guys don't know." Charles said maliciously.

" And you didn't tell them about the defect?" she asked.

" Of course not." he answered.

" Charles how do we know this will work anyways after 002's failure?" she asked.

" There were kinks in the process yes, but next time nothing will go wrong." he answered.

" That's good. Subjects dieing by the time their 15 years old of brain tumors because their bodies couldn't take the change in DNA structure is a bad thing." she answered.

" Yes if we eject the DNA during the first month the baby should do just fine coping with the changes. We won't do it so late in the game next time. We can't have another one dieing at the age 3 because of a massive brain tumor, do we?" Charles asked rhetorically. " I want to see her go ahead and open the door."

" Yes sir." she answered and pushed a button.

With that the domes door swung open and her entered with a box in hand.

A little girl sat at a small tea table with stuffed animals next to her in chairs.

" Mr. Hippo would you like some more tea?" she asked the purple hippo next to her. Apparently it sad yes for she put more tea into it's cup.

" Good evening Mia." Charles said coming towards her to her.

" Hi Pipi!" she said happily. " Pipi do you want some tea?" she had been calling him Pipi for as long as she had been able to talk.

" Love some." he answered. She stood up from her seat and ran over to him. She took his hand and led him over to a small pink chair and sat him down.

He sat and his knees went to his chin as he put the lien she had handed him on his lap.

" Would you like some crumpet to go with you tea Pipi?" she asked happily. He nodded and she took a small plate and placed one on it.

She sat back in her chair and turned to her stuffed hippo and kangaroo, " Isn't it exciting to have a visitor?"

There was only silence from the animals

" Stop being rude Hippo he's our guest!" she shouted at the stuffed hippo.

" What did he say?" Charles asked.

" He said that you only come when I have to go get more tests done." she answered sipping tea.

" Well, sadly, tomorrow you do have to get some more done. But I promise it's just a few and after you'll get as much ice cream as you want." he said trying to be gentle.

She looked sad and then down at her crumb ridden plate, " Okay. Can I have Pumpkin ice cream?"

" Any flavor under the sun." he answered taking a sip of his tea. " I hear it's someone's birthday today."

She smiled and giggled happily, "It's mine!"

" I brought you a present would you like to see what it is?" he asked.

She nodded and he handed her the box.

She took it and opened it. After peering in she let out a happy shriek. She then reached in and pulled a kitten out. " It's a kitty!"

" Yes." he said. " I thought you'd like a new friend."

She smiled and kissed the kitten on top of head. Then asked curiously, " Why can't I have friends? People, my age, like in my books?"

" We've been over this Mia no one can know about you at least not yet." he said sternly.

" Alright. I like Kitty anyways. That's what I'm going to call her." she answered happily.

" Good. I have to go now Mia, but I'll see you tomorrow for your testing." he said getting up.

Her big blue eyes looked sad and she held Kitty close to her, " Alright."

" Thanks for the tea." he said as he left the room and the domes doors shut behind him.

She sat there alone softly petting Kitty, looked at the mirror at one side of the room and waved. She then started to clean the table.

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**Okay so there was chapter 3. Please review!**

**The new season of TT is going great so far! **

**Just to clarify:**

**1. Bruce does not know what Charles is up to.**

**2. The investors do not know that Charles plans to eventually kill them and take over the world himself.**

**3. Yes, Richard and Kori are going to go out on a date.**

**I'm so sorry for the long delay but my lap top crashed and is no longer working. I'm on my mom's lab top now writing this but I can't use it all the time so just know that I will continue writing this and my other story it might just take a while.**

**Please review! I give you cookie!**

**Till next time,**

**Hailey**


	4. Cupid and Psyche

Hello! Thanks for all the great reviews it's really great! In this chapter I will be using reference to a Myth that I liked and a reference to both Richard's and Kori's pasts.

Disclaimer: Teen Titans, not mine.

Chapter 4: Cupid and Psyche 

Her high heels clicked on the cold pavement as she walked the intersection.

" Yeah, I know. Well that's just how I am, Mary Did Eric have a fit?" Kori asked while talking on her cell phone. " HA! I knew it! Did he go all red? He almost did!" She listened to Mary's voice. " I had to. Why? I'll explain tomorrow when I show you what I found. All right."

She got onto the other side of the sidewalk and heard a muffled " Humph!"

Kori stopped as sprinkles of snow started to fall on her head as fall turned to winter. " Hold on a second Mary."

She put the phone down from her ear and listened carefully. Slight banging sounds came from the alley a few feet from her. There were sounds that sounded odd and then someone yelled, " Help me!"

" Mary I have to go!" Kori yelled into the phone as she ran and then hung up.

She ran to the opening of the alley and her eyes widened. A girl about 17 was pushed up against a wall with a black-gloved hand over her face. She wiggled under the mans' grip.

" Give me your money pretty girl!" he yelled.

The girl screamed behind his hand. She then turned to see Kori and her eyes leaked many tears. She was able to move his hand from her mouth. " Help me please!" she begged.

Kori ran towards them, " Let her go!"

The masked figure saw kori and dropped the girl to the ground then took off running down the alley.

Kori stopped at the girl, " Are you okay?"

The girl sobbed and held herself closely. She then said realizing something, " He took my welfare check! I need it to get food for my family! I need it!"

Kori looked onward to where the man had fled and back at the girl, " Are you okay here until I get back?"

The girl looked up realizing that Kori was going to help her and nodded, " Yes."

" Alright stay here. I'll go get your money." Kori said swiftly as she took off.

She ran half way down alleyway and turned onto a different alley. She saw him in the distance. She stopped and thought for a second. She quickly looked around to make sure no one else was there and then lifted from the ground. She flew furiously at that the running figure.

When she got close she yelled, " Hey!

He turned around shocked. He shot at her but she dodged every bullet, " What the hell are you!"

She stopped flying in midair, " Someone you really didn't want to mess with!" Her hands then lighted up with green.

The man's eyes widened and he started to run again. " Ah!" she yelled as she threw a starbolt at him.

He fell as it hit him square in the back. She landed and walked the snowy ground to him. She bent down and found the check wadded up in his hand.

Meanwhile back in the other alley a figure with a cape landed next to the girl.

" Miss?" he asked.

She looked up and gasped, " Nightwing?"

He nodded, " Are you all right?"

She nodded, " I was just walking home after work and a man grabbed me and dragged me into the alley and pushed me against the wall. And then a woman was there and she told him to get off of me, and then he ran but the took my money. The lady told me to stay here while she went to go get it."

Nightwing looked around and said, " Was he armed?"

She nodded, " He had a gun." Her eyes widened as she realized his point.

" I've notified the police, they'll be here soon. I have to go after!---." He didn't finish his sentence as shots rang out from down the alley. He took off running hopeing the woman was all right.

As Kori stood over the man with the check in her hand she saw a figure at the end of the alley. She quickly put the check on the unconscious man and ran off.

" Wait!" Nightwing yelled as the woman took off.

He passed the man and went to the opposite opening to the alley. No one was there.

He went back to the man as sirens rang in the background.

The man stirred as Nightwing picked up the check.

" Where is she?" the man asked almost drunkenly.

" Who?"

" The woman who threw the green light at me. She could fly and everything." The man said.

Nightwing's eyes widened behind his mask. He looked down the alley.

It couldn't have been. She left a long time ago. It couldn't be. _Starfire?_

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Beep, beep, beep.

Kori lazily moved her hand out of the covers and shout off the alarm clock. She ran her other hand down her face and moaned.

Knowing she had to get up she fell out of bed. Last night had weakened her, it had been so long since she used her powers. But in the second that she did she felt so alive with energy like she hadn't been for years.

She stood and walked over to shower. She took off her clothes and stepped on its cold tile.

Afterwards she got dressed in long blue pants and a new sweater. She then grabbed her things and left for work.

" Kori Anders!" Eric yelled as soon as she walked into his office.

She smiled, " Eric how are you this morning?"

He sat back in his chair, " Oh Kori, Kori , Kori. Remember yesterday when you went to that conference and you asked those questions?"

Kori smirked, " Nope."

" Anders! Stop being sly with me! What do you have on him?" Eric asked.

" I thought you were angry not curious Eric." She answered.

" Oh no I was very angry. Very, very, very angry ,so angry I was going to fire you. Then I stopped and I thought and I came to the conclusion that you're a genius." Eric said.

" Genius?"

" I see where you want to run with this Kori and I'm telling you to go full stream ahead." Eric answered.

" And where do I want to run with the story?" Kori asked playfully.

" What do you have on Charles?" Eric asked.

" Not Charles, the company." Kori answered.

" Company you say?"

" Yeah, well he might be mixed in there." Kori answered.

" And who, might I ask, are you getting your information from?" Eric asked.

" A source." Kori answered

" Duh a source, what's their name?" Eric asked.

" I can't say. Just know I have one and I am now going to get your information for you." She said standing and leaving the office.

" Hey what happened last night?" Mary asked coming up to her.

" Nothing I just stopped to talk to someone." Kori answered getting some coffee out of the machine.

Mary put her hand to her chest, " Oh thank-god. There was a robbery last night right where you were!"

" Really?" Kori asked faking to be surprised while taking a sip.

" Yeah but there was just women that stopped him! And she could throw green light." Mary said. Kori started choking on her coffee. " Are you all right?"

Kori slowly swallowed and nodded, " Hot. So who do you know this?"

" Well the man kept going on and on about it. And Nightwing told the police that he'd like to question this woman." Mary said.

Kori put her coffee down and ran her fingers through her hair, " Nightwing, that one guy in a cape?"

Mary leaned against the wall, " The superhero you mean, yeah."

" I wonder why he wants to talk to her." Kori murmured.

" Well she did save someone. I'm just glad it wasn't you! You're always quick to be a hero." Mary said.

" No I'm not." Kori argued. " Did you want to see what I found?"

" Sure." Mary grinned.

They walked over to Kori's cubical in the corner. Kori sat down and loaded up a file on her computer.

" You have to promise not to tell anyone about this, okay?" Kori asked Mary. Mary nodded.

Kori clicked a button and a set of blueprints appeared on the screen.

" Blueprints? For what?" Mary asked.

" S.T.A.R Labs," answered Starfire, " I want you to look just here." She moved the screen down and pointed to a blank blue space.

" What?" Mary asked. " There's nothing there."

" Exactly, then why is it in the blueprints?" Starfire asked. " And if you notice the little corner right here just before it is labeled: Janitorial… then space? Look at where it's located."

" Underground." Mary answered looking at the screen.

" About 20 feet under." Kori added.

" What do you think it is?" Mary asked Kori looking at her.

" I think it's a facility. Something defiantly not government approved," Kori answered.

" Where did you get this from?" Mary asked.

" Do you remember an accident about 18 years ago at the original building evolving a man and woman named Silas and Eleanor Stone?" Kori asked.

" Yeah, sad accident evolving chemicals right?" Mary answered.

Kori nodded, " What if I told you that it wasn't a chemical accident, that the Stones had been working on a _different_ project…. in those labs 20 feet under the ground. And that I had proof, that there is a lab there?"

" Then I'd say you're a damn good journalist. Where are you getting your information from?" Mary asked.

" An old friend." Kori answered.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" Master Richard where was it you were going tonight?" Alfred asked

" A date in Jump City." Richard answered from his walk-in oak closet.

" Jump City, sir? With whom way I ask?" Alfred asked putting just cleaned DC's on the bed.

" With the reporter I met the other night, Kori Anders." He answered.

Alfred opened his mouth to say something but closed it while raising an eyebrow.

" What?" Richard asked popping his head out from the closet.

" Nothing sir." Alfred answered. " What are you planning to wear this evening so that I may press it for you?"

" I don't need it pressed. I'm just wearing jeans and a sweatshirt." Richard answered taking it out of the closet.

" What was that?" Alfred asked.

" I'm trying to impress her and so far my normal 'asshole' antics aren't working. She thinks I'm nothing but stuck up snob." Richard answered. " Don't comment on it Alfred."

Alfred nodded closing his mouth.

" I haven't always been this way, remember. I'm a normal guy…kind of." Richard said.

" May I remind you sir, that you are now a rich man and also famous, pursing a relationship with this girl may drag her into it." Alfred said.

" I can deal with that." Richard replied.

" And Nightwing?" Alfred asked.

" He will have to take the back seat so Richard can get to know Kori better." Richard answered walking towards the door.

" Master Bruce would like to see you in the _basement_." Alfred stated.

" Figured so. See ya." He said walking out.

The wall opened and Richard stepped inside the elevator. It went down to the " basement", the bat cave, which when Bruce originally returned to Gotham found under his house. Bruce, of course, had remodeled it, put in advanced technology, bought several prototype cars that Wayne Enterprises had made in testing labs but had never produced, and furnished it with all kinds of weapons.

It opened and Richard stepped out onto the cave's floor. Bruce was sitting at the computers.

" So you have a date?" Bruce asked not turning around. Richard smirked; Bruce had to have eyes in the back of his head.

" Yeah with Kori Anders." Richard replied walking towards him.

" The reporter I saw you talking to yesterday?" Bruce asked.

" That's the one." Richard answered.

" You know it may be risky, you being out with her." Bruce stated.

" What's your point?" Richard asked rhetorically.

Bruce turned around hands folded around each other in his usual manner. " You must be careful Richard, she could be after a story."

" She is." Richard answered smiling. Bruce raised an eyebrow. " You see she wouldn't go out with me unless I gave her the story."

Bruce moaned, " Richard! You can have any woman in Gotham, why pursue her?"

" I like her that's why." Richard snapped back defensively.

" No, your penis likes her and you should stop listening to it! You're getting yourself into trouble again Richard. If she finds out who you are--."

" I'm screwed! I get it! But I'm tired of worrying about what may happen, I've lived my whole life that way Bruce. You may choose to live your life in isolation but not me." Richard said. " I'm going out tonight, I'm going to have a good time with a normal woman whom I do find attractive and interesting."

Richard swung around and started heading for the elevator.

" You think that woman last night was Starfire don't you?" Bruce asked. Richard stopped but didn't answer. " And that's why you want her in for questioning."

Richard hung his head down and was silent for a second, then said, " It was her, and I know it."

" It can't be her, we've been over this in the past," Bruce said quietly, " She died years ago."

Richard shook his head, " And I believed that for a while, but…she couldn't have Bruce. Starfire was too strong to die like that."

" You're letting guilt get to you again. We can't have emotions for those who have left us Richard, because then we wouldn't be able to get on with our lives. What happened wasn't your fault."

Richard just started to walk back towards the elevator.

" Are we ever going talk about what happened? All I know there was an accident and you say it was your fault." Bruce asked.

Before he got into the elevator Richard turned his head back to Bruce, " Do we ever talk about you and Barbara?" Then the doors shut behind him.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" With who!"

" Richard Grayson, now hand me that shirt." Kori instructed Greg who had dyed his formal blonde spiky hair blue.

Greg threw a red halter top t-shirt at Kori, who was in her bathroom. Kori caught it by sticking her hand out the door, and then shut it again.

" How did you even meet him?" Greg asked laying back on the bed.

" The other night at a club. Then yesterday at the conference." Kori replied from inside the bathroom. " I'm coming out."

She opened the door and stepped out. She wore a tight cotton black skirt that went to her knees and then flared out, with black high heels, the red halter-top t-shirt, her hair was down and was curly, she wore green hanging earrings, and a black choker.

" So?"

" I'd sleep with you." Greg answered.

" I'm not sleeping with him! I'm getting the damn interview then leaving!" Kori yelled.

" Okay, okay." Greg said.

" Do I really look okay?" Kori asked.

" Yes, you always look very pretty." Greg said smiling.

Kori rolled her eyes and looked into the mirror.

" Hey," Greg said staring at her, " What's that?"

" What's what?" Kori asked turning and looking for her cell phone.

" That purple scar right there on your neck." Greg pointed.

Kori looked up from looking under the bed and ran her finger over it. " Got hurt when I was younger."

She pulled the cell phone out from under the bed and stood.

" Hmmm…I haven't seen it before. How did you get it?" Greg asked.

" Oh I had an accident when I was a teenager." Kori answered.

" Really?" Greg asked astonished. " What happened? Was it a drunk driver?"

" No, no just…a small thing." Kori lied. " Lets move on to a different subject."

" What are you doing?" Greg asked.

" Dinner. I get my interview and he gets his pathetic date." Kori answered picking up her purse.

" Oh, so you don't like him." Greg said smiling.

Kori rolled her eyes. " Duh you dumb ass! I'm being a good reporter and that's it."

" Alright." Greg said standing.

They walked down the stairs to the front hall. Greg went and opened the door.

He turned, "Know what I think Kori?"

" What?"

" That you might actually like the guy, and that scares you." Greg said.

" I don't like him and I'm not scared." Kori said defiantly. " Goodbye Greg." The she shut the door.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" Wow." She looked at the place where they were standing.

Richard dressed in his casual clothes walked up to the counter. " Best place in town."

" Welcome to Tia's Taco Shop! How may I help you?" said a teenage you stood behind the window with a Spanish accent.

" I'll have two tacos," Richard said into the intercom. He turned back to Kori, " Do you want a burrito?" Kori nodded. " And two burritos."

" Will that be all?"

" Yes." Richard replied.

" That will come to 10.50." The boy said and Richard handed him the money. " It will be about 5 to 10 minutes."

Richard nodded and stepped away from the window, " So ever been here?"

Kori shook her head, " No. I'm surprised."

" Surprised?"

They started to walk towards a stone table outside the taco stand. " Yeah," Kori said as they sat down, " I thought you were a more of…a restaurant guy."

Richard grinned, " I've never been a restaurant guy. I swear the places Bruce takes me to don't even serve editable food."

Kori laughed. " I think I'll start my interview now." Richard just nodded.

She put her purse on the table and took out a small notebook. She then opened a flap to reveal an organized pocket of pens and other things including anti-bacteria, tissues, lip-gloss, powder, Tums, Aspirin, cough drops, and etc. She then put the purse back down next to her on the stone bench.

She opened up the notebook and looked up. Richard chuckled.

" What?"

" I didn't know you were one of those people." Richard laughed.

" What people?" Kori asked confused and a bit offended.

" One of those 'organized-everything-in purse- people'." Richard laughed. " You have to be in control."

Kori look offended, " What do you mean?"

" I mean you have to be in control. You have everything in your purse yet you're extremely organized. You probably carry some kind of purse everywhere you go, with the same organization in it. You're a perfect example of an 'organized-everything-in purse- person'. I bet you anywhere you go any random place and any random person can ask you if you have any random thing and you can pull it out of your purse." Richard explained. " I even bet you have tape in there."

Kori opened her mouth offended, closed it, the opened it again and said, " Just because I have a lot of things in my purse and chose to be organized doesn't mean I have to be in control! I just like walking into any situation and know I'm prepared! So sue me! What do you carry in you wallet anyways, 'Mr. I'm so normal I can judge anyone!'"

" I carry credit cards, some cash, I.D., and some condoms." Richard answered.

" Exactly!" Kori exclaimed.

" Exactly what?" Richard asked.

" You're one of those: ' I carry a condom with me everywhere because I _think_ I'm going to get laid everywhere I go' kind of guys'. You're so confident that you're going to have sex with every woman that you meet so you carry condoms with you." Kori pointed out.

" Oh yeah? What if I'm just trying to be safe?" Richard asked.

" How many do you carry?"

" Five." He answered.

" Five? Oh come on! Five? Even 3 if too much to be carrying around with you, two would be understandable. But five? Seriously? It's like you expect women just to jump in your arms anywhere you go. I even bet they're different colors." Kori smirked.

Richard opened his mouth and then closed it as they were given their food.

Once left alone again he said, " Well I guess only 9 questions left."

" What?" Kori asked with some beans dropping form her mouth.

" Oh I forgot to tell you, I'm only allowing 10 questions and that wallet one counted." Richard said taking a bite of his taco.

" That's not fair you didn't tell me!" Kori exclaimed.

" Life's not fair." Richard answered coolly.

" Fine." Mumbled Kori, " So what's your opinion on the merger?"

Richard shrugged, " Don't really have one. Business is Business. It's all good and fun."

Kori shook her head in disgust.

Richard smiled, " It's been going smoothly. S.T.A.R. Labs so far has been a great partner. And Wayne Enterprises feels glad to have been helping a company with such great goals."

Kori smiled, " Thanks." She said quietly.

" Welcome." He answered quietly and they finished their meal. " So you want to go for a walk?"

Kori nodded, " Fine."

They stood and walked about a block to Jump City Park. It was wide spread with a small zoo, vast green land, small lakes, and beautiful gardens. They were the only ones in the park as they walked under the moonlight.

" You're adopted, correct?" she asked.

" Yup."

" Where are your parents? Do you know?" Kori asked.

Richard looked down at his feet said, " They died when I was young. Murdered."

" Oh, sorry." Murmured Kori.

" It's fine." Richard said smiling.

" Okay, so… did you really sleep with a striper?" Kori asked.

" What? No! I'd never do that…although it may seem like it." Richard answered. " I'm not that kind of guy."

" Then what kind-of guy are you? Why do you let people think the worst?" Kori asked.

" It gives people entertainment, they think they know me, but they don't. Honestly, I don't know what kind-of guy I am. When I was younger I thought I had it all figured out but now I'm not sure." Richard answered.

" We all think we have it figured out when we're young don't we?" Kori said softly. "Why don't you set people straight?"

He stopped and looked at her, " Because they wouldn't believe me Kori."

He started to walk again and so did she.

" What's up with you," he asked, " Where did you grow up, do you have any brothers or sisters, a dog?"

" Um…My lived in a different country, my parents died when I was small also, I have one older sister whom I don't speak to, and no dog." She answered.

" Sorry," he whispered, " So who we're you raised by?"

" Oh," she smiled, " I was raised by Galf-," she caught herself, " Gal-Gal-Bert. Yup my Uncle Galbert.

" Galbert?" Richard asked skeptically. Kori nodded taking a deep breath." Who would do that to a poor innocent child?"

" Well, um, we called him Gal because he, um, didn't like his name." she lied.

" Neither would I. Wait…you called him Gal?" he asked.

" Yeah."

" Gal is in G-A-L meaning a woman?" Richard asked smiling.

Kori blushed and said quietly with an almost unbelieving tone herself, " Yeah, his name really sucked."

" Ooookkkaaayyy." Richard said.

" Where did you go to college?" Kori asked.

Richard thought about his answer and said, " Just some school in a different country really not that important. Of course I majored in business."

Kori wrote down it all on her notepad.

" So how bout you?" Richard asked.

" Oh, I went to Jump City University and I majored in mythology." She answered. " And journalism."

" Mythology, huh? What's your favorite story?" Richard asked.

" It's Cupid and Psyche." Kori answered.

" I've never read it, what's it about?" he asked.

They sat down on a bench and Kori smiled as she explained, " Well there was a beautiful mortal and her name was Psyche, so beautiful was she that all the men in the world wanted her. Venus, the goddess of love, got jealous of Psyche because no one would come to her temples. To get rid of the problem she told her son Cupid to hit her with one of his arrows so that she'd fall in love with a vile man and marry him. But of course as soon as Cupid saw her he fell madly in love with her, so instead he made it so that every man would stop, think of her beautiful, but then move on and marry someone else. Finally it got to the point that her parents decided to marry her off to what they thought was a beast. She went and her parents thought she died. But she found that she was swept away to a beautiful palace where she received anything she wanted. Her husband would come to her at night, but would never let her see him and said is she did he'd leave her. But soon she got lonely, and against his advice invited her sisters to come and visit her. Her sisters came and got jealous. When they found out that she hadn't seen him they poisoned her thoughts, telling her things like that he was a terrible monster and she must kill him while he slept. So she got scared, forgetting her love, and at night when she went to stab him saw that he was beautiful under her candlelight. Cupid awoke and she accidentally dropped her knife, injuring him. So distraught was he that he left her and went to his mother's home. Desperate to get him back she performed many dangerous tasks so that she may see him. Finally on the last task she took some beauty from the box that was to be given to Venus and fell asleep. He found her and they forgave each other. They married and she became an immortal and lived on Olympus with all the other Gods, solving Venus problems and hers."

" Wow. Nice story. Why do you like it?" Richard asked.

Kori shrugged, " He hid himself from her and she needed to the real him so badly that she'd do anything."

" Deep." Richard said smiling. She hit him playfully.

They stood and began to walk once more.

" When you were younger what were you like?" she asked.

" I was rebellious, had to be right, kept to myself, had problems dealing with personal issues, which lead to bad things." Richard answered. " You?"

" Same as I am now I guess. I guess I was a bit more naïve though, and I did…a lot of…community service." She said carefully.

Richard smiled, " Community service? Like helping old ladies cross the street?"

" I guess you could say that." She answered.

" And you don't do it now?" he asked.

She shook her head.

" Well you write for the newspaper. You busted that drug gang, that helped people." He pointed out.

" It's not the same," she whispered, " I remember a time when Jump City was at it's greatest, when there was no drug gangs to bust, when there wasn't so much crime, when villains didn't run this city, when there were heroes."

" Me too, but nothing last's forever." Richard whispered back.

" I know, but why don't people try to improve things around here? If people just stood up against the things and people that were bad then this city, this world wouldn't need heroes." Kori said.

" Don't you remember Jump City need it's heroes didn't need its heroes anymore." Richard said.

They stopped at a top of a hill looking over Jump City's bay. In the sparkling waters laid a small island with a t-shaped structure on it. The T-Tower was worn and old. It's once sparkling window panels were dusted and some broken. Its metal frame was rusted from years of being rained on. It sunk as though it were sick and for 15 years no one came to care for it.

" I remember, Jump City had all the heroes they needed right? If that's so then were the hell are they? They all left. But the truth was: the heroes that wimped out." Kori said bitterly.

" I see," Richard whispered. " I take it you don't like super heroes."

Kori shook her head, " It's not that I don't like them, they just let me down. Kind-of like men."

" And there it is again!" Richard exclaimed.

" What?" Kori said turning away from the sight.

" You make subtle comments on men that are every harsh. So who was he?" he asked.

" Who?" Kori asked walking again.

" The guy who made you think lowly of all men." Richard said.

" I don't think lowly of men." Kori said. " I have best friends that are men."

" That's not what I meant. I mean when it comes to you and relationships with men your bitter about it. You don't come out and say it but you have problems with it. Your not gay are you?" Richard asked.

" No I'm not gay." Kori answered and then said matter-of fact manner, " And yeah I have some problems, but they're my own and none of your business. And if I didn't have an interview with you I would've left a long time ago. It makes a girl wonder how anyone can stand you. But then again there had to be something in your past that made you the way you are."

" The way I am?" Richard asked.

" Oh yes Richard Grayson the way you are. Face it you're a ' I carry a condom with me everywhere because I _think_ I'm going to get laid everywhere I go' kind of guy and something had to make you that way. As far as I've seen you're not a guy to be tied down to any one person." Kori pointed out.

Richard sighed and whispered, " I haven't always been this way."

" Really?" Kori asked surprised. " Then how have you been?"

He smiled, "Oh no you don't Ms. Reporter. First you tell me your sob story then I tell you mine."

Kori shrugged, " What's there to say? This guy and I were dating. I loved him, he didn't love me. We broke up."

" So you were rejected. Is that all?" Richard asked.

" Guess." Was Kori's vague answer. There was more but she couldn't share. " Okay now you."

Richard smiled sadly as if remembering something happy and sad, " Loved this girl, but like I said when I was younger I kept to myself and it lead to a big fight. I left, she got into a car, crashed, and didn't make it."

" I'm sorry," Kori whispered.

" It's been a long time," Richard said. He paused then said, " I didn't mean what I said to her. It was so stupid. It was my fault."

" I'm sure that isn't true," Kori said comforting, " Sometimes things just happen."

" Well," Richard moved on, " After she died I got really drunk, took the stick out of my ass, and lived my life."

Kori nodded and said, " They don't publish that in the tabloids."

" Yeah, well I don't talk about it much not even to Bruce. I will never even talk about what it was about or what was said. I guess it just hurts to much." Richard explained. "But now I guess everyone is going to know."

She looked at him and their eyes locked and she said quietly, " That was off the record."

He smiled softly back at her. Maybe he was different than what she thought.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

They walked down the snowy sidewalk and stopped at a duplex.

" This is it." Kori said making a motion towards it.

They walked up the front steps and stopped at the door.

" I actually had a good time, despite all those disturbing remarks." Kori said sheepishly. "Thanks."

" Welcome. So…you like me?" Richard asked stepping closer to her.

She stepped back, " Easy boy, I didn't say that."

" But you liked me more than you did?" Richard asked.

She nodded and made a sign with her finger, " Just a little bit so don't get cocky."

" You know," Richard whispered stepping closer to her, " You should do what you want to. If life has taught me anything it's that it's short. You should take that community service up again if it made you happy."

Kori smiled surprised by this new wisdom she had discovered, "I'll think about it."

" So what do we do now?" He whispered stepping so close his lips almost touched hers.

" I think…" She whispered, " I should…go to sleep because I have work tomorrow. Bye!"

She backed away and opened her door to step inside.

" Your still such a tease!" He yelled playfully, making some out of the darkened homes fill with light. 'Opps' he mouthed and he walked down the stepping smiling to himself as she closed the door.

He reached the landing he heard her yell, " Richard!"

" Yeah?" He asked turning around.

" I do carry tape in my purse." She said smiling and then closed the door going inside.

He turned and started walking again, " Knew it!"

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

She flicked on the light switch and the whole bedroom lit up. She threw herself on her unmade bed and let out a deep sigh.

She sat up and took her cell phone out of her purse. It said she had one missed called.

" Crap." She said to herself. She looked at the number and pressed talk.

After several rings someone on the other line picked up.

" Uh, Hi…is Victor home?" She asked. There was an answer and she said, " Thanks."

She waited a minute and a voice of an old friend came over the line.

" Hey Vic, it's Kori. I got your message, sorry my cell phone was on silent." She said into the phone.

After she received an answer, " Yeah I agree it might not be safe to be talking freely. I got your, um, message."

The voice on the other end said something once more and she answered, " Yeah I did find it interesting. In fact, I, uh, wanted to meet you and talk about it."

The voice answered and she smiled to herself, " Yeah I know the place. At what time?"

The voice answered and she said, " Yeah, okay I'll meet you there. Bye Vic."

She put the cell phone and purse on her nightstand. She walked over to her closet, and opened it. She let herself float up to the ceiling where she pushed a board back. From there she took out a small locked chest. She floated down to touch the closet floor.

She opened the chest with a key hidden along the lining of the closet. It's lid opened and she looked down to find an old purple suit that once belonged to a teenage girl, and a picture of five teenagers all wearing unique suits like hers.

She raised the purple top from the box and said to herself, " Maybe I should take up that community service again."

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

**Hey! Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year to everyone! And if you're Jewish happy Hauunaka (sorry if I spelled that wrong)! And if you celebrate a different holiday, then Happy what ever you celebrate. And if you don't celebrate anything, stay healthy and happy!**

**Sorry this chapter took so long! I had finals, and then I got sick. And then there was all this drama at school! But I'm happy to get it to you now. I'm also sorry if it sucked.**

**But please no flames, and please review. Reviews are like a really good Christmas present!**

**Well I hope to have the next chapter up soon, on both of my stories. **

**Until Next Time, Stay Safe This Holiday season!**

**Hailey**


	5. What Remains Mine Forever More

1

Sorry for any spelling mistakes!

**Disclaimer: Still don't own the Teen Titans**

**Chapter Five: What Remains Mine Forever More, Will Be** **Yours Too**

As humans we are constantly searching for something that will make us complete us. We are always trying to find our place in this great universe, our niche. Somewhere were we can fit in.

Roberta Rangel had always looked for a place to fix in. In high school she desperately strived to be like those who where worshiped like Gods, and through her metal mouth and tangled mousy brown hair , had failed completely. In college she had relationships that lasted two weeks before the man had took off running for the hills, sometimes literary. She currently lived in a rinky dink apartment on the east side of Gotham. She had 5 cats whom she fed constantly thus making them super fat cats that did not walk but waddled destined to die of a heart attack before they hit their Cat Stride.

She had been working at S.T.A.R. Labs since college, 10 years ago ( taking time away when the company had been closed). She still hadn't married, no children, and had no home to call her own. But still she had found her place amongst her work. As a top reacher at the company she had devolved many new technicians to further help software companies instate security devices on all electronics. She worked always till late at night and came in early in the morning. She didn't have many friends at the office, just the few that would talk to her time to time, including Sam the guard.

She finished decoding a file and saved it onto the main computer and sighed. She pushed up her black thick lenses and fiddled with the band holding her pony tail together. She stood from her work bench walked towards the elevator deciding it was time for a quick snack. Her flat, no heel black shoes squeaked on the white polished tile floor. Her socks too long for her shoes scrunched up around her heels. She brushed brown hairs that stayed in front of her glasses away from her face and went into the elevator.

After getting her coffee and sandwich in the break room, which was empty at two o'clock in the morning. She sat down at a white plastic table in a small plastic picnic fold chair. She ate constantly in the plain white room with very few posters of food on the walls, as the florescent lights above sat dully casting they're fake sunlight across the room. When she finished her sandwich, threw her wrapper in the trash, and carefully wiped all the crumbs from the table using a napkin to gently sweep them off the edge and onto her hand, she took out her cell phone.

She dialed her home phone number and let the answering machine answer and after the beep said in a babying voice: " Hello my kitties, hello!" Meanwhile at her apartment her five cats lazily lifted their fat heads from the couch where they lay and looked at the answering machine. " I'm so sorry I'm getting home late tonight. I hope you guys enjoyed the meatloaf I cut up for you. Oh, Snappy I hope Oreo didn't eat your share again!" Snappy very slowly raised her head at the sound of her name and meowed as Oreo liked his lips. " Well I hope to be home soon, I love you guys! Bye-bye!"

She hung up the phone happily and left the room. On her way back to her lab she passed Sam the night security guard and gave him a friendly greeting.

She got to her lab and saved the decoded file onto a CD disk. She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She then up then up the disk into a cabinet and gathered her things. She left the room and once again bored the elevator. She pressed the first floor button and it started to descend. But when it got to the first floor it kept going down. She pressed the button again but it did not stepped then went past the garage level and she wondered where this went .When the doors opened she found herself in a long passage way that she had never seen.

She stepped out and followed the passage way. She came to a door at the end of the hall and opened it. She ended up inside an odd room. A small lab it seemed to be. This had most defiantly not been on the map she was given. She walked past tanks holding baby mice and rats. They seemed to be dead. She was careful not to make any noise as she examined bottles of chemicals.

She stepped over large black wires that lay sprawled uniformly across the floor. Her hands shook nervously and she pushed up her glasses.

" Hello?" she whispered. " Anyone here?" No answer, but frightening silence. She hugged her large burlap purse close to herself.

A sound!

She turned quickly, but saw nothing. She turned back not seeing the dark figure passing behind her. She continued forward following the wires in curiosity.

She looked down watching her feet. The wires stopped. She looked up at a large tank, and her body went cold.

" Oh God!" she whispered to herself. She took a blind step back and hit a table, knocking several bottles down. The bottles fell and shattered on the floor.

She looked around quickly and started to run. She ran into the hall in which she entered from. She went quickly and went through another door. White storage facilities in rows. She ran down them not paying attention to which she was going down.

She ran and ran then hit something. She stepped back.

" Please, don't! I didn't mean to! I swear I won't tell anyone! Please! Please!" she begged. The figure waved a gloved finger at her.

She screamed only once, then silence.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

_Oh unhallowed halls that rise above the sea_

_They know me as I know them_

_What is mine forevermore will be yours too_

_What I have forever taken be taken back _

_Let go of a past unhidden,_

_Let go of a name that does not belong_

_Let go of me_

_I am not here_

Salty ocean waves spalshed up against the empty shores. Small birds floated quietly on the water. A person can tell when a place is dead.

Kori walked up stone steps leading into the large glass T-shaped building. She put her hand up to a scanner. The metal doors opened.

Titans Tower knew her after all these years.

Dust covered the white sheets that his furniture left behind by the towers old residents. She walked up the main stairs and entered the old common room.

A man stood at the opposite end looking out the large windows that spread themselves so far they were not longer windows but a wall. He wore black slacks and a blue shirt. He looked normal, an average guy, with average skin .His hands slipped into his pockets and he whistled softly. He looked over the ocean at Jump City the way she had seen him do many times.

She walked up next to him and quietly looked out too. After a few minutes they acknowledged each other's presents.

" Kori Anders." his reflection said.

" Victor Stone." her reflection said.

They and the tower knew better.

They turned to each other and hugged.

" You look good." he commented.

" So do you." she reviled smiling.

" I was interested when I got your call a few weeks ago. Wasn't expecting that." he said smiling. The same old Cyborg.

" I should've called sooner. It's been too long my friend." she replied. Same old Starfire.

" So how have you been?" he asked.

" I've been great. I went to college, I worked for the newspaper, have an apartment. You know all the good stuff." She answered with a smile." You?"

He sighed, " Went to college, I'm working in Development for NASA. Have a wife, Be, two children Matt is two and Kayla is five. I have a yellow dog, Sam. You know all the good stuff." he replied smiling.

" Can you believe this place is still standing?" she asked looking around them.

" Hey! It's not a total piece of crap. I built it, so it will last centuries" he said.

" Have you spoken to the others?" she asked.

" Not for years. It's weird, we just lost contact, after..." he trailed off, " I miss them."

" Me too." she answered.

" You still in the business?" he asked with eyebrow raised.

" No are you?" she asked

" Hell no!" he said laughing. " I think I'm too old now even if I wanted too."

" Still talk to Clark?" she asked smiling.

" Sometimes. But you know him, he always has the world on his shoulders." Victor replied, " I met Lex Luthor once he's an ass."

" Well then," she said laughing. They stopped talking for a few minutes. What do you say to someone you haven't talked to for 15 years?

" Do you still talk to..." she asked quietly.

" No." he answered with the same tone. " Not since you died."

" Cyborg I..." she tried to say but nothing came out.

" Starfire we all thought you were dead. He was broken up about it, wouldn't talk about it. I'm not going to ask you why you faked death, or what happened. The fact is I was so happy just to hear your voice again. I'm glad your alive Star and that your doing well. And I do wish you would've called sooner." He said looking down.

Slender arms slipped around him. " I've missed you Cyborg."

" Me too kiddo." he said hugging her back.

She pulled away and looked around, " It's been a long time since I've been here."

" It's been a long time since any of us as been here," said Cyborg remembering a distant time, " I missed this place. I miss 'us', the team. I miss old times."

" Me too," whispered Starfire. " I remember the last night I was here, I ..."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow and then lowered it. Whatever it was it had to do with Robin and he would just leave it alone.

" Lets get down to business, shall we?" Cyborg said playfully changing the subject. " Are you _really_ going to do this?" He sat down on the old dusty couch.

She leaned up against the window panel, " I want to do this."

" Star, this is dangerous stuff. You get ankle deep in this, you'll never get out, it's a black tar Star and it has already taken peoples lives." Cyborg said putting a foot on the old coffee table and raising his eyes towards her.

" I know what I'm getting into, but what kind of person would I be if I just sat back and let the bad things happen? If I let the bad people make all decisions and have all the control?" Starfire reflected.

" And what kind of person would I be?" Cyborg answered to himself.

" Your wife, you children? Are you sure you want to do this?" Starfire asked.

" They are my life now, and I'd anything to protect them, this being one of the things. S.T.A.R. Labs took my life before, I won't let that happen again." Cyborg said.

" The room, the one not charted, what else do you know about it?" Starfire asked.

His eyes glazed over and she knew he wasn't looking at her. He wasn't looking at this place or this time. He wasn't looking at the sparkling blue sea outside. He was far, far away from here in a different time. And indeed he was , in his mind it had just started to snow. He spoke softly:

" It started to snow... it had started to snow...the middle of February. My little sister sat next to me. She would blow her hot breath on the window and then draw little pictures with her finger. I sat playing with my football, spinning it around with my finger. My father started yell, he didn't like me playing football or being on the team. Both he and my mother worked for S.T.A.R. Labs in researching. He was the best scientist and he hated sports. Thought I was wasting my time.

He wanted me, his only son, to follow in his footsteps; his steps were always too big for me.

He yelled at me to put the football down and get a real dream. My mother put a hand on hi shoulder and told him to stop the yelling. He did and it went quiet for a while.

It was so dark, and with the snow almost impossible to see. We were going up a mountain pass.

I said...I said... after a long while...I said ' Why can't I just be me? Why is nothing ever good enough no matter how hard I try? Why am I not good enough for you? Why!'

The driver of the semi truck couldn't see so well too. By accident he had driven into our lane.

As soon as I said that my father turned to look at me with fierce eyes, we sat looking into each others eyes for a long time, but it was only a few seconds.

My mother screamed and I saw the bright lights of the truck coming in front of us, now way of stopping. My father swerved and hit the side of the opposite railing. Our car, on impact, flipped over the railing and fell five feet. All I felt was hot, metal and glass tearing my skin open. All I heard was screaming, my little sister screamed for me. I, in those few seconds when we were falling, unbuckled myself and jumped to her side. I felt her little body grab on to me, telling not to let go. I never did.

The car it the bottom of the ditch and I felt flying out through the window closest to me, and so did my little sister. As I flew out I felt shards of glass ripping open one side of my face, my legs being ripped from body, my arm's tendons being cut, my eye had a piece of glass through it.

We landed and my little sister was still laying in my arms, but she wasn't alive anymore. The angels took her, stabbed through the heart with a chuck of glass. I was dead I knew it, we were all dead.

But I woke up one year later on a metal table. Something was wrong and I could tell the second I opened my eyes. My little sister was gone, and this wasn't heaven. My neck was held by a metal strap. My focus was off from waking up. My father stood over me and said ' Welcome back to the world.'

When I became fully awake I was raised, on the metal table, to a mirror. I just screamed, and screamed.

My father told me that I had survived, survived but my almost my whole body had been thrown from my torso. My father had woken up in the hospital in the bed next to mine and was the only one who was able to make a full recovery. My mother and sister had died, and I was dying. He begged Garrison Slate to fund him in making the first human with all artificial organs. Slate said yes.

My father moved me to a secret room, below the main building that no one knew was there. He replaced all my functioning organs, that were about to give out, with artificial ones. Gave me arms, legs, half of my face, my new heart.

After he told me all these things I was disgusted.

I yelled, 'Why! What the hell is wrong with you! Your fucking crazy! Get away from me! All of you get away from me! You are playing God! God! I was supposed to die! I want to die! What have you done to me!'

My father said, ' Victor you're better now, better than before, I gave you life! I gave you your life back damn it!'

I turned to him and whispered fiercely, ' You've taken everything, everything away from me. This I not life, I am not a man, I'm a robot, a monster. I hate you! Why couldn't you just die!'

He left the room and that's the last time I spoke to him. He was murdered the next day, by Garrison Slate, I knew. My father wanted me released into his care, Slate wanted to launch me as a new medical service. I guess my father, in the end, wanted me to be free.

Several weeks later I broke out and ran, ran far away, miles away, states away, until I got to Jump City. Until I got home."

Silence consumed the room and then Starfire said, " I'm sorry Cyborg I didn't know."

Cyborg half-smiled, " I didn't say it was going to be pleasant, did I ?"

Starfire half-smiled too, " Life is not pleasant."

Cyborg sighed, " Star what I'm about to tell you can be spoken to no one ever. Do you understand?"

" Of course."

" I have a contact," said Cyborg, " She works for S.T.A.R. Labs and has done so even when my parents were alive. She says that Charles is up to something. She doesn't know what but it's... top secret. And it's taking place in that little room that's not on the blue prints, she's sure of it.

I've been in that room, Star, and believe me they don't do normal things in that room. Whatever it is he's up to he has it down there for sure.

Have you heard of the woman that washed ashore this morning?"

Starfire nodded.

" Her name was Roberta Rangel and she worked for S.T.A.R. Labs. I had my contact check the records and she never checked out of her time slot. But of course she came back later and saw that the information had been erased. The guard didn't she her leave neither."

Starfire leaned against the glass panel, "What do you think she found?"

" The room," Answered Cyborg. " That's really all the information I have."

Starfire nodded, " I'll be looking into it."

" How?" Cyborg asked suspiciously.

Starfire walked from the glass panel over to where Cyborg sat, " How do you think?"

Cyborg stood and looked at her, " This is dangerous especially to be doing this by yourself."

Starfire smiled, " Oh come now it's not Kori, it's Starfire doing this."

Cyborg smiled, " So your getting back into the business?"

Starfire smiled, " Hell yes. It's time someone started to fight back."

Cyborg hugged her, " Be careful then, alright? I don't want to go losing you again."

" You'll never lose me Cy. But I have to go now, I have work." she said pulling away.

" I'll call you," said he looking on as she started walking towards the door.

" You better, " she said walking from him.

" Hey Starfire," Cyborg called out.

She turned, " Yeah?"

" He cried...he cried for you." Cyborg said softly.

Starfire looked sad, " I know. Goodbye Victor."

She then walked out the door.

" Goodbye Kori." he whispered.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

" Kor, kor. Kori" I voice said nudging her.

She looked up from the computer, " Hey Greg."

He leaned against her cubical, " You okay? You got back four hours ago went to your computer

and haven't stopped."

" I'm working," Kori mumbled clicking on her mouse, " Why is that weird?"

" Uh, it's weird because for as long as I've known you, you've _never_ been able to sit still for more than an hour. Remember when we go to see Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and after two hours you had your ipod on and were texting people?" Greg asked. " What's on your mind? You look disconnected to the world."

Kori sighed and looked up at him, " Have you kept something from someone? Something important?"

" Yeah, I think we all have." Greg answered nodding his head.

" What if keeping this secret, lets say, hurts someone? What if who you are isn't really you?" She asked touching her red hair.

" It depends, why are you keeping it?" he asked looking at her closely.

She looked back at her computer and thought," Never mind. It's nothing."

" Alright." he said going to his cubical and glancing back at her.

Kori glanced back at the computer screen and printed a few papers on the history of S.T.A.R. labs, unfortunately the original drafting of the building could not be found on the site.

" Hey Kori, hey Greg." Mary said coming towards them with a Del Taco cup in her hand.

She sat down at her desk, which was across from both Greg's and Kori's.

" So what's up?" she asked.

Greg shrugged, " Nothing much. I see you come from Del Taco. And once again did not bring me a flippin taco like I always ask you to."

Mary stopped going through the purse and was thoughtful. She slapped her forehead, " Damn I knew I was forgetting something. I knew I was when I was ordering so I just ordered an extra fry to eat figuring that maybe I told myself to order more."

Kori raised an eyebrow, " What kind of sense is that?"

Mary shrugged taking a fry from her purse and putting it into her mouth.

" You have fries?" Greg asked angrily.

" Well yeah," she answered, " of course I didn't eat the extra fry because I wasn't hungry. So I brought it back here to eat for a snack if I got hungry ."

" Give it to me!" Greg demanded.

" No Greg," she said holding the cup of fries close to her. " I paid for them."

Greg's eyes flashed, " Yeah while forgetting my damn taco. Now give me it!"

" No!" Mary shouted as Greg practically tackled her.

Emile, a small mousy girl with brown glasses, came towards them. " Um, excuse me, Mary?"

Mary pushed Greg off her, " Yeah?"

" Eric said he wanted you do this story and have it on his desk by tomorrow morning." she said handing Mary another newspaper and walking away.

Greg looked over Mary's shoulder as she took it, " Why didn't he give this story to Kori?" He read on and frowned, " Oh that's why."

Mary looked at Kori with a sad look and said, " Kori I am so sorry-."

Kori reached over and took it from her hands.

The headline read: **Snake Cole's Charges Dropped**

The newspaper hit Kori's desk and she gathered her things.

" Kori! Kori where are you going?" Greg called out.

" Kori!" Mary yelled as she got into the elevator. As golden doors closed they both saw something in her green eyes they had not seen before. The look.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

A hero, is never really gone. No, after they have died or gone away they live on through stories and through the good deeds people do in inspiration of them. But then again, sometimes they just live.

For almost ten years Jump City's heros had been gone. Crime had ravished the city. Although heros were so fondly remembered they were a thing of the past. It's people were afraid to walk the street at night. Parts of the city were to overrun with Mob bosses to even want to inhabit. And a tower shaped as a T stood sojourn on a island far away with cracked windows.

In one old part of town did a man enjoy his newly bought freedom.

Snake Cole walked into his apartment, not knowing that this town was no longer hero-less.

He laid back on his couch and closed his eyes.

Blinking the them back open he realized that his balcony glass door was open.

" Damn locksmith," he said getting up and closing it, " I'll kill him."

" I bet you will eventually, however don't do that just yet considering I was the one who opened the door." a sultry voice said from behind him.

He turned running his hands through his shoulder length dirty blonde hair, " How did you get in here?"

He talked to a woman's figure in a tight black suit. She wore a mask over her green eyes. She had red hair which was pulled back into a tight bun and slightly covered with a headpiece with a green jade in the middle.

The woman walked over to the counter next to her and sat on it, " Let's talk about you Snake."

" How do you know my name?" he asked.

" How could I not now your name? I mean you must be one of the luckiest son of bitches in the world. Sit down on the couch this may take a while." She said looking at her gloved fingers and nodding towards the couch.

" Alright baby, whatever you say." he said like a pig sitting down. " What is it you want to talk about?"

She looked at him and crossed her legs, " You are a bad, bad man."

" I can be as bad as you want me to be." he said with a chessy smile.

She uncrossed her legs and jumped down, " Snake Cole do you admit to selling drugs to teenagers and people of all ages? Do you also admit to killing those who didn't pay you your money?"

" Who the hell are you?" he seriously asked.

" That's a great question Mr. Cole. Who am I?" she said walking closer to him. She kneeled down to his level and whispered , " I'm justice incarnate."

He pushed her away from him and ran over to the counter, pushing a button under it. " I called the police."

She smiled, " Good that's what I want. Sadly when they get here you may be dead."

He grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and held it at her, " Stay away from me."

She laughed, " Oh, so are you afraid now?" She lit her hand with green energy and blasted the knife from his fingers.

He tired to run past her but she grabbed him by the neck and held him to the wall.

" In my experience I've come to find those who are guilty don't take prison seriously, like you Snake. You paid you're way out of a trail and laughed at the system. A system that no longer exists. But I know what does phase a villain: physical justice. Because in prison you feel safe, you tell yourself that everything will be fine and in a week or less you're out. But with physical justice there is nothing you can do, nothing you can say to yourself to make you feel better. Right now my hand is around your throat so tight that you can't breathe and you can't move. You're realizing right now that I am ten times as strong as you and if I keep my hand here, like this around your throat, you'll be dead in under two minutes. So if I were I'd listen."

He nodded as much as his position would allow him.

"If you follow my demands you'll live. You're going to go to the police and give them everything they need on you. Then you'll actually go by the legal system and be put in prison for your sentence. If you do get released from prison you will never sell drugs again. In fact you'll move far, far away from this city. I don't care where, but not here. If you don't comply with what I'm asking mark my words: I will find you no matter where you are. I will kill you and the pain your feeling at this moment will be nothing to the pain you'll feel then. Because right now I have the power to snap your neck like a snap a twig between my fingers! From this point onward you'll never be safe anywhere you go. Do you agree?"

He nodded and whimpered, " Yes. Please God!"

She dropped him on the ground and he curled up into a little ball crying and coughing.

" When the police come tell them this: there's a new hero and town. And tell your friends I'll be after them next." She said walking towards the balcony door.

" What's your name?" he cried.

" What is in a name? That which we call poison, would be just as deadly." She said sitting on the rail outside. She then threw in a small metal container and everything went black.

The police sirens rang in the back round. Her heart beat faster. Alive—that is what she felt and boy she hadn't felt like this in 15 years.

Night. All is said. Many words are attached to Night. Words such as dark, dank, creepy, lonely, and sadness. But why do we hate Night so? Night is actually brighter than the day. Night opens truths and reveals things the sun will not. While it does shield the demons at least we know the demons are among us. But it also carries unsung heros, those who the sunlight hides from us.

A lone vigilante stood looking over his old city.

Night, oh Night did bring many things.

He heard sirens coming from down the street. He picked up a tool from his belt and listened to the police radio. A suspect was heading his way.

A movement on a adjacent buildings. He jumped to the roof just in time to see a flying figure.

" Stop!" he yelled.

The figure slowed and put its hands up.

" No turn around, your under arrest!" he yelled.

" Don't tell me _your_ Nightwing? Well I should've figured." Said the figure turning around.

Something was familiar about her, those striking green eyes.

" Who are you!" he demanded.

The woman smiled to herself, " You already know."

" You are-." Nightwing asked when a green bolt of energy knocked him off his feet. He was thrown back and rolled to a stop.

When he looked up she was standing over him.

" Starfire." he finished. " Star?"

" Oh Robin, always wanting what you can't have. Starfire is dead, she's been a long time." said the woman turning away.

" Starfire," he said getting up, " Wait!"

Too late. As he ran towards her she jumped off the 20 story high roof and when he looked over the edge she was gone.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Rain poured upon the ground, each droplet different from the next, all wet.

Kori had let her red hair down and know it soaked and sewn across her face. Her tears were lost in the rain.

A few hours ago she had felt alive, alive like she used to be. It was like being recalled to life after being dead for so long. But Starfire was dead; she was buried in this graveyard where she stood now, as it said on the headstone before her.

Rain pitter-pattered upon the headstone that read: **Starfire. A Teen Titan, A True Friend.**

It had rained like this, that night 15 years ago. Oh, she remembered it so clearly it was like it just happened.

" Kori I don't know what to do!" she cried out to the grave. " I don't know what to do!"

_**:flashback 15 years earlier...**_

Rain poured down heavily upon her auburn hair. 18-year old Starfire ran as fast as she could to get out of it.

" Oh no!" she cried. She found a bus bench sheltered by a covering and sat down.

She shivered. All that she was wearing were a pair of old, worn jeans and an over-sized t-shirt. Tears were lost in the rain as she sobbed quietly to herself. Starfire held her arms and legs close to her, trying to keep warm.

" Hey!" a voice called out next to her.

Starfire turned and saw a woman about her age standing next to her with an umbrella over her head. She looked so similar. She bore the same auburn hair and jade green eyes.

" Are you okay?" the woman asked.

Starfire looked at her and nodded.

The woman looked around, " Are you waiting for someone?"

Starfire shook her head.

The woman ran a hand through her hair, " Listen I know that you may think I'm a crazy person for asking this, but would you like to come with me? I'm on my to dinner and I have some dry clothes in my bag here."

Starfire shook her head, " Thank-you for your gracious offer but I cannot. I am waiting for the number nine bus to take me to Gotham and then I will board the number 11 that will take me to Longhorn. When I get to Longhorn I will 'rent' a room for the night and the next day will board another bus to take me to Hollywood." She said it as if almost in a trance.

The woman looked at what packages the girl carried. She only saw a small purple bag.

The woman sighed, " Look if I leave you out here I'll be worried all night wondering if something happened to you. Now you seem like a nice person, would you want me to worry?"

Starfire turned and shook her head apologetically, " Oh, no I would not want you to worry. I wish to give you relief but I cannot miss my bus."

The woman thought and then said, " How about after dinner I give you a ride to Gotham? I'll call taxi to take us there, believe me it's safer than a bus. I'm supposed to be going there anyway, you know to visit friends."

Starfire smiled, " I suppose it would be to my benefit to go with you then." She stood up and securely placed the strap of the purple purse on her shoulder.

They started to walk.

" Cool. The diner is just up here. Have you ever been there? It's called Ricks's and it's the best place to eat in Jump City, says so on the menu. When we get in there you can go to the bathroom and change – oh make sure to get under the umbrella, although I don't know how much wetter you can get – well anyways I think this place is cool it's like a trailer only bigger. You know the older trailers that were sliver or whatever material they were made of, right? Well this is like eating in one of them." the woman said talking a lot.

Starfire smiled and nodded.

" All right we're here." said the woman opening the door. They walked in to a 50's café styled diner. They took a seat at a red booth with a sliver table separating each bench. The woman took some clothes out of the bag and handed them to Starfire.

Starfire smiled and went to the bathroom to put them on.

She slid the dry jeans and shirt on in the one stall bathroom. Country music played in the back round as she did so. She then turned to the mirror and looked at herself. Her hair was soaked and she quickly ran her hands through the tangled mess to straighten it out. She wiped her eyes, to dry them of lingering tears and used a hand dryer to dry out her hair.

Afterwards she still stared into the mirror for several minutes. She pressed her hands on the counter and leaned in to closely stare at herself. She looked fine on the outside but on the inside she was broken. She let out a sob and sunk against the wall to the ground. After a few minutes of staring up at ceiling she stood and walked out the door.

When Starfire came back out a coffee cup sat in her spot on the table and the woman was already drinking hers.

" You look better," the woman said noticing her. " Here I got you some coffee. I didn't know what you preferred."

Starfire smiled and sat down, " I like coffee very much."

The woman finished her sip and said, " Me too! I love it! Can't go a day without it." Starfire smiled. " You know we look a lot alike."

Starfire nodded, " Oh yes we do. I noticed that."

The woman then smacked her forehead, " Oh my gosh! I don't even know your name!"

" It is Starfire, " Starfire answered.

The woman smiled and nodded, " Have I met you before? You look familiar, I mean, (well duh I get practically the same reflection when I look in the mirror) but from somewhere else, that is."

Starfire thought, Titans Tower flashed in her mind, she pushed the thought away. " I do not believe we have."

" Oh well," said the woman finishing up her coffee. The waitress came after that and took their orders.

" So where are you from?" the woman asked. " You can't be from around here you talk too innocently."

Starfire smiled and said, " I am from the north."

Woman laughed, " Let me guess farm girl that grew-up in the North. You came down here for school, met a guy and he broke your heart."

Starfire laughed, " You almost had it correct."

" Well," said the woman, " I am psychic."

" You are?" asked Starfire excitedly.

The woman nodded, " Hell yeah. Nah, I wish I was. Because if I was my life wouldn't suck as bad."

Starfire frowned, " What has happened?"

The woman shook her head, " You don't want to hear my sob story."

Starfire nodded, " Please?"

The woman sighed, " I...,well, I attend or attended Jump City University. I'm taking a 'break'.I'm a journalism major."

"Why?"

" Back in high school I did drugs. It was for about a year and half then I got sent to a rehabilitation center. Then and ever since I've been clean. But a couple of months back a ran into my ex boyfriend who still did drugs and of course I took pity on him and invited him to live with me. He stole everything I had. Yes, he stole everything. I had to sell the apartment. It just sent me back to a shock. And now I'm trying to figure out who I am. I'm not a good person."

" Yes you are." encouraged Starfire.

" No, Starfire, I'm not." said the woman seriously. " I've done some bad things lately."

" Such as?" Starfire asked.

The woman looked down, " Just compensation for what I've lost. Tell me: why do you want to go to Hollywood?"

The woman then looked up smiling.

Starfire answered, " I've always heard that the 'stars' live there. And my name is Starfire so I am going to go and see the 'stars' in black and white."

The woman thought for a second, " Well it's plan I'll give that to you."

Starfire nodded, " Yes, a plan."

" Why were you crying?" asked the woman.

" Crying?"

" Yes outside on the bench?"

" Like you me a man has hurt me." starfire replied taking a sip of her coffee.

" Want to tell me what happened?" the woman asked. Starfire nodded and she told her story while they ate.

" That's messed up, I'm sorry." said the woman.

" Do not be I am so glad as to have made a new friend." Starfire smiled. " Do you wish to come with me?"

" Where?"

" To Hollywood!" Starfire said joyfully, " You said you do not have a plan. You have rescued me tonight, now let me do the same for you."

" Sure!" the woman said, " Us girls should stick together."

They agreed and finished eating.

" Taxi! Taxi!" the woman shouted. They jumped in before they got too wet.

" Where to?" the taxi driver asked.

" Gotham." replied Starfire.

Then the car pulled away from the diner. It rain still but lightly. And in the distance traffic lights were blurry as the windshield wipers moved back and forwards.

Starfire smacked herself on the head, " What is your name? We have gone all this time without me knowing it."

The woman laughed, " Now that was stupid of us! My name is Kori Anders."

" I like your name." Starfire smiled.

" So when we get to Hollywood where do yo want to go first?" Kori asked.

" I wish to go to-." Starfire started to say but a horn cut her off.

" Shit!" yelled the driver.

Starfire heard Kori scream as another car came straight at them. Starfire held tightly on to whatever she could get a hold of.

The taxi driver had not seen the other car coming towards them. The driver of the other car did not know he was in the wrong lane. And when they collied the front of the taxi was totally destroyed. As the driver lost control it spun of control and flipped three times before coming to a stop on it's's back. The driver was killed instantly.

However in the back seat the passengers still lived.

A few moments later Starfire opened her eyes, " Kori?"

" Hey Starfire you alive?" Kori answered next to her. Both women were still buckled in and hanging upside down.

" Yes. Are you...alright?"

Kori chuckled, " Of course I am. I'm a fighter." her voice grew teary. " A car couldn't kill me."

" Kori what is wrong?" asked Starfire painfully turning to look at her. " Oh no!"

A piece of twisted meal went through her chest. And Kori bled freely.

" Kori!" Starfire sobbed.

" Don't worry everything is going to be okay." Kori said weakly. " Here I want you to take this." She said giving her bag to Starfire and taking the purple one.

" What are you doing?" Starfire asked her fallen friend.

" In that bag there's an ID and some money. When you get to the hospital tell them that it's yours." Kori explained.

" But it is yours." Starfire said.

" No it's _yours_." Kori said tearfully. " I'm going to die."

" No Kori do not say that!" cried Starfire

" Do me a favor, will you?" Kori asked looking at Starfire, blooded caked on her face.

" Anything," promised Starfire.

" Make more use of my name than I did." Kori said coughing up blood.

" Kori!" Starfire yelled.

Kori smiled, " Everything will be alright Kori it will. Everything will be alright."

And then she was gone.

Starfire was left alone with sirens coming towards the wreck and rain sprinkling outside. And she closed her eyes, hoping to met the same fate as her friend.

But she didn't.

And two days later she woke up in Jump City Memorial Hospital. Machines beeped around her and she looked at her surroundings. Remembering what happened she called out Kori's name but received no answer.

" Hello Miss Anders I see your awake." said a doctor happily walking into the room.

" Miss Anders?" Starfire asked herself.

" You'll doing well, and sustained only minor injuries. You should be out of here in three days." he said checking her charts.

" Excuse me but can you tell me where my friend is? Her name is...Starfire." she asked.

He frowned and said gently, " Miss Starfire died on the accident site."

" But-. I" she started.

He padded her foot, " I am sorry for your loss. Her other friends were here."

" Other friends?"

" Yes, you were aware that she was apart of Jump Cities Teen Titans weren't you?" he asked. She nodded. " Well they were here. The funeral will be on Saturday."

She nodded tearfully.

" I see you have no family. Do you have anyone you'd like me to call?" he asked.

" No thank-you. I haven't got friends." she answered sadly.

His pager went off. " I have to go but I'll be back in a little later. Ring the bell if you need anything."

She nodded as he left. She lay her head back on the pillow contemplating what had happened and what was going to happen.

She then remembered Kori's last words: _Make more use of my name than I did ._

And she would. She would do everything Kori could now not do. She'd fix her mistakes. She'd live.

Looking at her reflection in the window across from her she said, " Hello my name is Kori Anders and I am a student at Jump City University."

And Starfire...was now deceased.

**S**tarfire's funeral was held on that Saturday. It was a private ceremony.

As her friends put her to rest at Jump City Cemetery and unknown figure lurk behind the trees. Kori Anders held herself up with a crutch and watched her friends bury someone that was not her.

Raven put a gray rose upon her casket, and Beastboy put on a flower also. Cyborg stood tall and proud trying not to cry. And Robin he stood in a nice suit with glasses shielding his eyes.

One by one they all left as they had left the team.

Until at sunset only Robin remained. The new Kori stayed looking at him. With his back turned to her he removed the glasses. She saw him fall and sob over the casket.

She took in a deep breathe and turned away.

_Goodbye Robin_.

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

**HEY! I am so sorry that took so long! Wow it's been a while! Well I've been working on this chapter for a couple fo weeks but since I am now on break I could finish it.**

**Yep as you read Kori had in fact been a real person who died and Starfire took her name. But I still haven't revealed what happened between Starfire and Robin all those years ago.**

**For all readers of Faint secret: I am working on it! It's just going very very very very slowly. Lol. But I'll get the next chapter to you soon, I hope.**

**Well once again please no flames! and review make me happy. And to all of those people who reviewed on the last chapter I give you a sugar cookie!**

**I know the show is now over but I will still continue to write. In fact I am planning to write a sequel to this story after it is done. I think it may be better too. So please keep reading:) **

**Till next time**

**hay-hay **


	6. The day my heart broke

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans

Chapter 6: 

A woman walked the unpaved streets; a large silk scarf covered her from head to waste. Today the scarf was golden and had purple designs across it. With one arm the woman covered her mouth and played a smile from underneath. Under the scarf she wore white robes, lined with gold, bearing her jeweled midriff. On the end of the other arm a small child held on to her hand, followed by a long group of people wearing the same formal type of clothing.

_The child wore purple dress robes and had lost her scarf long ago. Now her flaming red hair lay across her shoulders as she looked around with curiosity for everything. The many items the vendors sold at each stand were a new mystery to be solved and when the train stopped at a stand, she stood on the tips of her toes to peer at what was being sold. A few times she would be able to hold something her mother bought in her hands and she carefully examined the object before politely handing it to a maid. When food was available her small fingers slowly put the item into her mouth and she let the taste settle until she was content enough to swallow it. Her mother stopped often to try on different rich smelling perfumes on and would sometimes let her put some on._

_It was when they had left a vendor selling jewels that she first heard it… an explosion in the sky. Everyone in the small alley stopped to peer at the midday sky and up above them lights exploded in various colors, followed by the earth below them trembling. _

_A second past and time seemed to freeze, and then a woman ahead of them let out a scream. Everyone else seemed to catch the fear and soon many people were screaming and running, while horns from a distant place sounded loudly. _

_The party the girl was with started to be forcefully separated by the running people. Her mother gripped her hand. _

" _Ktuo!" her mother yelled above the screaming people to her small child._

_Another explosion sounded above them and animals behind them raised up on the back legs, while the carts they carried tipped over, and started to run towards them. _

" _Ktuo!" Her mother louder now and they started to run. _

_The girl looked behind them at the quickly approaching stampede and couldn't find another face she knew._

_Her mother's scarf flew off her head and she gasped looking up into the sky as it blew away in the breeze. _

_They kept running but now their hands were both beaded with sweat and started to slip from each other's grip. A man confused by the dust and blinded ran towards them quickly. Her mother tried pulling them out of his path, but it was too late, and the man ran through them middle of the two; the weakened grasp was lost. _

_Lost, alone, and frightened the child kept running on without her mother and she ran far, past the alleys into the dense forest beyond. _

_The light was now completely blocked inside the forest and she scrambled for something to hold on to. She lost her shoes in the run into the forest and now rough edged rocks beaded themselves into the soles of her feet. Then she felt the trunk of a tree and hugged it tightly, not letting go._

_Sometime later voices called all around her as she cried hopelessly. Her beautiful purple dress robes were now soiled from the dirt and mud, her red hair now tangled. She had wrapped her arms around her legs and with teary eyes looked into the blankness._

_A light up ahead made her yelp and it came closer. She started to sob more as she buried her head into her lap. _

_A warm hand touched hers and the jingling of bracelets could be heard. "__Koriand'r?"_

"_Koriand'r." the voice said gently._

_She looked up and saw her mother. Her golden scarf was gone and her long luxurious curly red hair now lay around her shoulders. Worry played across her face but soon vanished as soon as she saw her daughter._

_She looked like a beautiful angel as her brilliant smile flashed down at her._

" _Mi Starfire." She said standing and holding out her hand to help her daughter rise._

_Koriand'r reached her hand out and gently grasped her mothers…_

"Kori, Kori, wake up, time to wake up!" a voice said nudging her.

" Go away!" moaned Kori waving a hand.

Mary hit her with a pillow and Kori opened her eyes, " What the hell was that for?"

Mary smiled, " Just trying to bring you back from the dead, here its coffee." She held a red and brown paper cup that said Jo-Jo in her hand. She shook it slightly at Kori's head.

Kori took it and asked, " What time is it?"

" 1:00pm." Mary smiled pointing at the digital alarm clock next to the bed.

" What! I'm late for work!" Kori exclaimed bolting up.

" No Kor you missed work, I got worried when you didn't come in so I came here and found you sleeping, where did you go last night?" Mary asked.

Kori rubbed her forehead and stood up from her bed. On the opposite end of the bed was her red robe, she picked it up, and put it on.

" I went to a nightclub. You know that new one that just opened up in Gotham?" she said lazily walking out of the room and down the duplex stairs.

Mary followed her, " A nightclub? In Gotham?"

Kori nodded while walking into the white tiled kitchen, " Yup."

Mary sat down on the kitchen island stool while Kori rummaged through her refrigerator. She looked at Kori with disbelief and then shrugged it off.

" So I guess you didn't hear?" Mary said.

" Hear what?" Kori asked peeling an orange.

" Kori, Snake Cole was murdered last night." Mary said looking at her.

Kori looked up startled, " What? No, you heard wrong."

" Kori it was on the news this morning." Mary said.

" No it couldn't be, it can't be." Kori said putting a hand on her forehead.

Mary put her hand over Kori's, " Kori are you alright? I thought you'd be more happy about this."

Kori looked up confusedly, " But I, I didn't…how can I be happy about a man's death?"

" I'm sorry." Mary apologized.

Kori nodded stared off into space beyond the ceiling in her kitchen. _But I didn't kill him…_

Mary continued, " They're saying some woman in black killed him, that she's Gotham's new villain."

Kori stood abruptly from her chair, " But that's not true!"

Mary raised an eyebrow, " How do you know?"

Kori flushed angrily , " Be-because I know, okay?"

" Okay, gosh don't shoot the messenger." Mary said calmly.

Kori sat back down on the stool and slumped over with her head on the island, " I'm sorry Mary… just last night I felt like I haven't for a very long time and it was refreshing, now that feeling is gone.

Mary smiled, " We all have those nights."

Many miles beyond the two-story duplex where Mary and Kori sat, a man in a very imposing business suit walked down the carpeted aisle toward the office of a very powerful man.

Passing many framed portraits that must have cost someone a great deal of money, the man brushed pass many office workers warning him that Mr. Swartz was in a meeting.

The man pushed opened the large oak doors, walked into lavish office and stopped midway towards the desk where Charles sat.

Looking up Charles, who was in a pleasant mood and wore a content smile on his face while talking to the man in front of him, scowled at the abrupt entrance of this new being. The man just stood, hands crossed in front of his torso, ever so gentlemanlike.

Charles stood, " Please excuse me Mr. Dubose, an important issue has just presented itself to me."

Mr. Dubose who was unaware of the Stranger's presence now turned around and was extremely surprised. Except for the suit, this man seemed completely out of place in his surroundings. The Stranger stood before him tall, bold, and bald. A tattoo lay upon the back on his neck, a snake coming out the eye sockets and mouth of a human skull. His folded together fists also had tattoos but with strange markings on them. Both of his ears were pierced from lobe to tip and a scar played lightly across his left eye, his eyes, themselves, were a sedating black.

Charles padded the man's shoulder roughly as Mr. Dubose stood. " Mr. Swartz I assume we will continue our conversation another time perhaps," said he walking towards the door, and as he past the Stranger he tilted his head before putting on his hat and said,

" Sir."

The Stranger nodded and said in rough voice, " Sir."

After the door had shut Charles motioned to a chair in front of the large mahogany desk. The Stranger sat looking intently out the window that lay behind the desk.

Charles sat down, also, and folded his hands then said frustrated, " I believe I told you not to come to this place."

The Stranger layback in the chair lazy, took a toothpick from his jacket pocket, and started the tooth picking process. Then he said in a rough accent, " If you don't mind can you shift over a bit, can't see my reflection"

Charles angrily shifted his chair a few inches and then forcefully asked, " What are you doing here?"

The Stranger didn't answer but kept at his pick, " Always have to see your reflection, it's how you know your head is on."

Charles's eyebrows furrowed, " What are you—."

" Came to collect my pay," cut in the Stranger, " The damn idiot was a pain to get rid of."

Charles unclasped his hands, " Well then you're lucky it's been blamed on someone else's shoulders. I told you you'd get your pay check in the mail."

The Stranger shook his head, " Too risky…I tend to move, you know how it is: one day your killin' and the next in prison." He laughed heartily and then removed the pick from his mouth.

Charles then said, " Fine here I will write you a check now." He opened up a desk drawer to get out a blank check, and then filled it out. Handing it to the Stranger he said, " Here you go."

The Stranger looked at it carefully and held it up to the light, " Hmmm…this doesn't say your name."

Charles smiled, " I am no fool, and just in case this is traced I don't want it lead back to me. I set up a different account, you'll get your money."

The Stranger smiled a toothless smile, " Peaches and cream then, ay?"

Charles smiled a smile also and said, " Yes in fact you did so well with these last two, I have another one for you."

The Stranger crackled, " Who is it this time?"

Charles pointed towards the door, " The man who just left (his name is Mr. Dubose) is starting to have second thoughts about my operation here, says 'it's morally wrong'. I need you to take care of him, we can have no loose ends, this is very critical point: no witnesses."

The Stranger nodded, " That can be arranged…for 200,000 I find it very warrantable."

Charles moved his ballpoint pen through his fingers, " You've raised your price I see."

" You've hired the stakes. This man seems like he's worth a lot; unlike the woman and Cole…he has value, in which I hope to gain from. As a fellow business man I know you can understand my viewpoint," said the Stranger maliciously.

" All right, but as soon as you get the job done, and not a minute before," agreed Charles.

The Stranger stood and nodded, " Be seeing you." He walked towards the oak doors and then turned around, " What would you do if I squealed, huh?"

Charles smiled, laughed, and with a flick of the wrist launched the ballpoint pen tip at him, missing him by an inch the point drove through the oak wood and stuck. "I would find ways to kill you. Call me when it's over."

The Stranger nodded silently then left.

She's alive.

Sitting in a dark cave 10 feet below a lavish mansion with computers surrounding him Richard could think of nothing else but finding Starfire.

After finding out last night that she was in fact living he couldn't sleep, and so he stayed all night in the shadowy cave belonging to The Dark Night and himself, using every possible way to search for her. So far nothing had come up, just the many police reports filed this morning after the murder of Snake Cole.

Had she done it? Could she? No. In his heart that no matter how much she changed she had to still be Starfire inside, and Starfire wouldn't kill anyone. But now, there were two sides to everything: to the situation, to him…to her. As Richard he was joyful that Starfire was alive and apparently here there in Gotham, but as Nightwing there was a new criminal to catch and as Nightwing he had to think about a few things:

First of all he couldn't just give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she hadn't killed this man because it was still a possibility and the police were now after her for murder. But on the other hand if she was innocent then someone framed her, who and why?

Second if it was in fact Starfire under this mask, how would he be able to talk to her? She seemed…angry last night. Something was different about her eyes…more hurt was there.

" Richard," said a voice behind him.

Bruce stood tall in a suit that had been especially tailored for him. He looked worn from a long day of work and looked at Richard hesitantly. Alfred stood beside him devotedly as usual and showed some interest in the situation.

" You've been there all night and all day today, I think it's time you got some rest," suggested Bruce.

" I can't she's alive Bruce, I have to find her." Richard said desperately looking back at the monitors in front of him.

A hand squeezed his shoulder, " Richard you don't know that it is truly her, and if that was so, she's a criminal."

Richard shook his head and threw off Bruce's hand, " Starfire would never murder someone!"

Bruce leaned himself against the base of the panel and looked at Richard sternly, " How do you even know? Starfire obviously has changed, Richard, she let you believe she was dead for 15 years. Now she reappears in Gotham, injures you, and jumps off a roof top; she doesn't seem like the woman you knew."

Richard stared at the monitors, " You would do the same, admit it."

" I wouldn't be so blind sighted and arrogant!" Bruce yelled angrily.

" Oh yes I forgot you are the almighty Bruce Wayne, you can never be wrong about anything, can you! I know, I know that she might not be the woman I loved anymore, but despite the lies she's told, I still love her and will always love her!" Richard shouted. He slumped over in his chair with a hand on his forehead. " I know, okay?"

Bruce stood and walked away towards the stairs, " If you do find her keep what I said in mind." Then left silently.

Richard took a few deep breaths and then turned back to his work.

" You are more like him than you know." Said Alfred coming to stand next to him.

Richard chuckled, " Oh really? Then why can't we get along better then?"

Alfred grinned, " The young and the old have different views of how life should be lived, no matter the commonalties. When Master Bruce first came back to Gotham so many years ago, he was a bit younger than you, just as wild, uncontrollable, and trying also to find his identity as a person as well as a symbol."

" Do you know if he ever found his identity Alfred? Richard asked looking at the empty staircase

Alfred looked at the staircase and then at Richard, " I think when you came into this lonely house is when Bruce really discovered what was important in life. You are a son to him, as you both are to me." Richard looked up at the elderly butler and Alfred continued, " And like him you will do as you please and have no one stop you, but take heed Master Richard whatever lies in the past is gone, and now comes the time in your life where the events along with the choices you make determine you who will become. Do not make the mistake of thinking what you are is more important than who you are."

Alfred nodded grinning and left Richard to the silence of the cave.

Alfred's last words hung in his ears _Do not make the mistake of thinking what you are, is more important than who you are_. If only this advice had come earlier in his life when he still could've changed the way things had turned out between him and Starfire. If only he could take back his selfish actions.

Richard took a small trinket, which had been removed from its grave in the closet and placed in this pocket, out. Fiddling with it he sat back and closed his eyes, id only he had stopped her that night. If only….

_**: Flashback 15 years ago:**_

The Tower's phone rang, the others had gone searching the city for her, but he stayed behind and sat in the darkness that was provided here.

His mask had been long ago removed and now laid, almost like it was dead, on the couch next to him. A small trinket was held in his hand, a little blue shoe on a chain. God, he had been an idiot to react that way.

He loved her, he did. She was right he was just running away from life, and hiding behind that mask… a mask he took off once for her. A mistake, yes, but did he really regret it?

Bruce once told him the importance of distance. He had told him that getting to close to someone in their line of business was deadly, Bruce hadn't mentioned that it would break your heart.

It wasn't fair, why did this have to happen now when he and Starfire were finally happy? Why? He hadn't asked for this, neither had she, so why did this happen to them?

When she had told him, he went ballistic. He yelled at her, blamed her (god knows why that would make sense), and then after yelling from her side, left the room and left the Tower, left her thinking that he would never return.

Starfire had reason to leave; he had been an ass, when she needed him to be strong for the both of them.

Now she was somewhere in the pouring rain, alone, cold… and pregnant. It was his entire fault.

He ran a hand through his jet-black hair, what was he going to do? He had been a jerk; he had left her the moment he found out about something, _someone_, that was supposed to bring them closer.

God forgive him, he was scared. He was only 18 and so was she. He had never had a real family, a real home.

And now he had sent his family away…

God please let me find her…let me find them 

Later at the hospital after a long night of searching the Titans waited in the lobby for the doctor.

The doctor came out and all knew as soon as they saw him that it wasn't good news.

Wiping tears from his eyes he said, " I'm sorry…we lost her."

A cry erupted from Beastboy as he cried on Cyborg's shoulder and Raven stood quietly looking at the tiled floor.

Robin stepped forward towards the doctor, " Are you sure?"

The doctor nodded, " Yes I'm sorry."

" And the baby?" asked Robin in a tearful voice already knowing the answer.

The doctor looked down sadly, " Yes."

And for the first time in his life Robin couldn't feel himself, everything was gone, gone because of him.

Starfire and his baby were dead.

**: End Flashback:**

Richard looked at the tiny shoe he had bought Starfire when he came back to the tower after hours of walking the streets of Jump City. He had wanted to go back and tell her that he couldn't be happier after long thought and that he had bought this shoe for the baby.

It never happened.

But now he questioned everything. She didn't die, so did their child?

Hurried footsteps walked down the dark alley. The steam seeped from the sewers below and made it hard to see.

With a suitcase held tight to his chest, Mr.Dubose, walked as fast as possible through Gotham's many alleyways. He had to get to her house; he had to tell her what had been really going on.

That's the thing about getting into a bad situation to deeply, it is a tar pit and no matter how important or influential you are you'll sink into the tar eventually. It's like a lie you tell to keep yourself sustained in the reality you've chosen for yourself.

Up above a figure peered at Mr. Dubose below and jumped, silently, to the ground behind him.

It was several minutes before Mr. Dubose noticed he was being followed. He quickened his pace and turned left onto a main street.

The Stranger also turned on to the street several paces behind Mr. Dubose.

A crowd of smoking teenagers with various color including purple and red walked towards the two men. Mr. Dubose quickly used them to hide in. The Stranger then began to run towards the crowd that Mr. Dubose had disappeared into rough pushing people out of his way.

Mr. Dubose broke free of the crowd and ran into the Chinese Cuisine restaurant to his right. The atmosphere was smoky and relaxed as people ate with painted wooden chopstick and sat on red cushy chairs. Quickly he dodged customers and waiters, and made his way toward the kitchen in the back.

He ran through the large red swinging doors leading to the kitchen and pushed by chefs preparing meals of a large fire.

" Excuse me sir you're not allowed to be in here," said a waiter spotting the paranoid and sweating man.

Mr. Dubose looked frantically around for the exit ignoring the man.

A scream sounded from in the main dining room and gunshots could be heard.

" What the hell?" were the waiter's last words before being shot in the head along with everyone else in the kitchen.

The Stranger broke through the kitchen doors and pointed the gun towards Mr. Dubose, but he had already fled through the back door.

The Stranger bolted after him and into the back alley where he saw Mr. Dubose running towards the street opening.

Mr. Dubose ran straight ahead without looking back until he reached the end. Now looking back he didn't see the Stranger.

" I love it when they run." Said the stranger from in front of him.

Mr. Dubose turned his head slowly to meet the Stranger's eyes and then was met by two shots to the chest.

Afterwards the Stranger looked down upon the man that lay before him and then walked off into the night.

But what the Stranger had not noticed was the suitcase, that had been thrown under the dumpster in the alleyway….

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Across town at that moment a slim figure of a woman dropped down on an apartment balcony. She went to the glass sliding door and pick locked it. Slowly opening the door she stepped on the carpeted floor and slid the door shut behind her. The police had already been here.

Roberta Rangel's apartment was lonely now that its owner was dead and gone, however one would have to ask if it wasn't already lonely to begin with.

Everything seemed to be in order, Kori had already checked with the county office, and they hadn't found anything of importance in her apartment, and had returned all things of importance. Her death had been ruled as an accident.

Walking over to the counter she looked at the message machine, she pressed the replay button:

" Hello my kitties, hello! I'm so sorry I'm getting home late tonight. I hope you guys enjoyed the meatloaf I cut up for you. Oh, Snappy I hope Oreo didn't eat your share again! Well I hope to be home soon, I love you guys! Bye-bye!"

Kori raised an eyebrow questioningly. But where were the cats?

She walked into the back bedroom. A queen bed sat in the middle of the room covered with pink wooden quilts and rudely laced pillows. Kori was sickened. She went to the oak wood nightstand next to the bed and opened a drawer. She took a light pink journal from the inside and looked at it. The cover was plastic and had kittens in a basket on it looking cute with little bows around their' necks.

Kori debated whether or not it was wrong to take this journal and read it. Well technically its owner was dead now and probably wouldn't mind, however this was someone's private thoughts, their hopes and dreams. Kori looked around the room that held cat posters on the walls, except for one picture on the dresser in corner that was of Roberta when she was significantly younger with a man who's arm draped around her shoulders. Kori looked down at the journal in her hand… this life, Roberta, could've been easy her…it was her life but with more cats.

She stood up with the journal in hand maybe it could help. As she started to close the drawer it wouldn't shut completely.

Kori crouched down, re-opened it, and stretched her hand inside to the back. A small card had fallen into the crevice in the back, blocking the drawer from being closed. She tugged the card from its spot and pulled it out: an all access Star Labs Id Pass.

Smiling she slipped it into her back pocket and walked towards the glass sliding door. As she walked back out onto the patio and closed the door behind her she put her mask back on, then standing on the rail took flight, heading back towards Jump City.

Sometime later on a street back in Jump City middle aged woman walked home after a long day of work and then a trip to a grocery store. Walking on this part of town at night was dangerous. Pulling her headscarf closer she hurried faster towards her home.

A footstep sounded behind her and she turned, nothing was there. But as she turned around she ran into a man's chest.

" Hey lady, what's in the purse?" asked a man with black and white paint covering his face.

" Go away, I have no money." She said frightened backing away only to run into another man with a black and white paint design also painted on his face.

She tried to flee to the right but a woman with the paint design of a spider on her face blocked her view too.

" Give me the purse, and you won't get hurt." Said the first man smiling.

" No!" screamed the woman.

The man's eyebrows furrowed and he nodded to the man behind her who then wrapped an arm around her neck and held a knife to her.

" Get it Janna!" the man ordered to the woman who smiled and skipped over to her woman's purse.

" Please I need that for my children's lunch!" she yelled as the woman known as Janna ripped the purse from her arm.

Janna went through it and frowned, " All she has is fifty dollars." She took the money, and threw the purse to the ground.

" Give me your ring!" ordered the man in charge.

The woman shook her head," No please my late husband gave this to me!"

" Give it to us, or I'll get it for you!" threatened the man who held her captive waving the knife at her finger.

The women sobbed and shook her head.

" Just get it!" ordered the lead man.

The helpless woman started to scream hysterically as the man came closer to her finger with the blade. " Hold her still!" he shouted to Janna whom came forward and forcefully held the woman against the man.

" Shut up!" yelled the lead man to the woman. "Hurry up before someone hears her.!"

He made a coking sound as someone unseen from behind him used a hand motion to knock him unconscious. The thump as he hit the ground made the other two look up at the redheaded woman standing before them.

" Let her go," said the dark figure nodding towards the captive woman.

" Keep on holding her," ordered Janna, " I'll take care of her." Janna made a fist a swung it at the redheaded woman, but she caught it and used it to throw Janna off balance.

Janna caught herself and one again swung herself towards the figure who did a back flip over Janna's head to avoid the hit, landed, tripped the Janna and with mighty strength threw her aside.

Now turning back to the man and the captured woman she saw that the man held fear in his eyes.

" Come closer and I'll cut her throat!" he threatened.

The woman smiled, " I don't think so." Her hand lit with green fire and she winked. The man let go of the woman he held and started to run the other way when the starbolt hit him square in the back. He feel to the ground and did not move.

Kori bent down and helped the frightened woman up, then picked up her broken purse. " Are you alright?" she asked handing it to her.

The woman nodded, " Thanks to you. Thank-you so much, I don't have much money however----."

" No, you don't need to pay me. You should go home quickly now and don't stop until you get there." Kori instructed.

The woman nodded and started to hurry away, but then turned and asked, " What's your name?"

Kori smiled, " It doesn't really matter." The woman understood and nodded the disappeared around the next corner.

As Kori started to round up the three villains, she noticed the one named Janna was missing.

A brush of wind was felt against Kori's neck and a voice said, " Your not the only one with powers." And Kori was thrown against a brick wall on the opposite side of the street.

Kori stood painfully and looked at Janna who as quick as lightening stood beside her. Kori flew up into the hair and started to throw starbolt but Janna's quick feet avoid all the shots.

" What? The superhero can't even hit me?" she yelled at Kori above.

Kori grew in infuriated and her eyes glowed with green aurora. She shot clean and quick at Janna who was too slow this time and fell to the ground.

Kori descended from the air and said the unconscious Janna, " You should stop being so cocky."

Police lights flashed from down the street and Kori took to the air once more.

The city lights blared amongst the darkened horizon as a lone figure watched them tinkle from atop a roof on an island in the bay. It seemed like a magical light show put on just for the lonely tower. The roof's surface was dusty and the metal railings were rusted, but still the glory days of this ancient place could still be remembered.

Footsteps caught his attention, Nightwing turned to see Starfire. They stood and stared not a movement was made.

" Why?" he asked, " Why didn't you tell me that you were alive?"

She looked up at him through masked eyes, " Why do you think?"

He grew infuriated, " I had go through losing you and you didn't tell me you were alive!"

" You didn't deserve to know! You broke my heart and I did it right back damn it!" she yelled at him furiously.

" I loved you!"

" You loved me! You _loved_ me! That's bullshit!"

" When I broke it off I was going through things!"

" Things? We all go through things Robin! I went through things, but it wasn't like you gave a damn!"

" Starfire, please believe me I never meant to hurt you!"

" Well you did! You took my heart and shattered it across the floor! I gave everything I had! I waited for you! I tried! I tried my hardest! But you just cocked out! You decided to leave, you---you coward! It was all just bullshit, wasn't it? Just a load of crap! I can't believe I fell for it! I can't believe I let you get that close! The day you broke it off was the day I died! She's not here anymore! The Starfire you knew is gone!"

" Please Starfire—."

" NO more I went to hell and back because of you! You're just a boy who's scared and stupid, but I'm not the same naïve girl! I _never_ want to feel the feelings I had for you again! So go to hell! Do you hear me? Just go to hell!"

Then she was gone and he was left alone on the rooftop that held so many memories, so many he didn't realize that the wound never healed, instead it was raw and red just asking to be inched. He could no longer stand there anymore not with all the memories this place had.

So he did what he always did, he left, he gave up. She was right…

I'm soooo sorry! It's been over year or something right? I got distracted and I couldn't write but today I found the anger I needed for the end.

Thanks to all of you who are still here, thank you for being loyal readers and not giving up.

I'm sad the shows over and hope that maybe they'll do a spin off or something.

I hope to write back soon

Plz wish me well

Hailey

Ps

Plz no negative feedback


	7. The Revelation

Hello everyone! It has been a very very long time since I've updated this story! For that I completely apologize! Some aspects of life become so consuming that certain projects are placed on the backburner, but this weekend I just had to write.

I hope that this post even comes with replies, as I'm afraid I've lost a lot of readers. But for those of you who continue to read the story thank-you so much! I appreciate that you care!

Here it is:

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. I just ran with it.

**Chapter 7: The Revelation **

_Intro_

_There are those who believe that we are all destined to be someone or something. That each individual life has its own determined before it is even given a life to live. For these people life is the actions we take in fulfilling those destinies to make destinies for those to come._

_For others, however, destiny is simply a choice. Like a woven spiders web there are endless possibilities of design and route. Our lives here on this earth are to find the route best meant for us. We will have a period of trail and error, but eventually we will be on the right route to our self- chosen destiny. Even when it seems like we have no correct route, we are, in fact, on the route itself. _

_As for the latter, if destiny is a choice, then if one had chosen a different route how would have their destiny played out? And if our destinies are already chosen for us, can we change it? Or are we just meant to live without belief in destiny at all…_

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" **Welcome to Star Labs! Welcome to the future!"** said an unseen repeating monotone voice at the entrance of the Star Labs facility.

Sam the security guard made his morning rounds, to check up on all of the floors of the main building. He was an older mad of fifty-two who had just lost his wife a year back. He once worked for the first Star Labs as a security guard and when it reopened was offered his old job back.

Sam had seen some pretty interesting things while working at this facility. He had seen people come and go as the years past. Some would enter the building on a Tuesday and not leave until Saturday, where they would disappear to for all that time he did not now.

He found it interesting that the facility had re-opened on the same ground it was on and was re-built to look mostly the same. But what he found most surprising is that the public was so eager to take it back, especially after what happened the last time.

The day before Dr. Stone was killed all those years ago Sam had been working at the front desk as he usually did. It was when Mr. Slate walked past him that he looked up from the T.V monitors and smiled. Slate didn't see him, and kept walking muttering things under his breath.

Behind him came a young intern, Charles Swartz, who fumbled with files in his hands and quickly rushed to catch up with his boss. He stopped at Sam's desk, however, before heading on.

" I need you to call the fifth floor and tell them there will be an emergency meeting with Mr. Slate in his office," Charles said hurriedly.

Sam smiled softly, " I was just up there five minutes ago sir and only Dr. Stone was on the floor, it's Wednesday all the others are off."

Charles snickered, " I know Mr. Stone is the only one up on the fifth floor. Do think I'm incompetent, you old man? I asked you to call the fifth floor and tell him there is a meeting with Mr. Slate immediately! If you can't understand what I just said then maybe you should check yourself into a home, where you can be with other senile people!"

Charles walked away angrily and Sam grunted. That brat.

He called up to the fifth floor and informed Dr. Stone of the immediate meeting.

But when Dr. Stone reached the first floor, however, he seemed to be flustered.

" Hello Dr. Stone, how are you today?" Sam asked pleasantly.

When Dr. Stone looked up Sam would never forget the look in his eye, the one of fear.

Dr. Stone looked around nervously and muttered, " Fine." Then he sauntered away

Dr. Stone never came back that day, and the next day he was found dead. About a year later when the building was destroyed Sam had looked up from his safety in the parking lot and saw that that fifth floor was set a blaze and sighed. But what most disturbed him was that the fire seemed to be located underground as well….

Oh yes Sam knew that there was something wrong with this company, but he stayed. He stayed because it comforted him to know at least he was somewhere familiar.

He got into the elevator now, years later after doing his rounds on the new fifth floor. As the doors opened a young woman with blonde hair and green eyes quickly brushed past him and headed on to the end of the corridor.

Sam sighed, when would people ever learn to slow down?

However, what Sam didn't know was that this woman hurried because she didn't have much time.

Kori ran her fingers through her blonde wig as she took a Star Labs I.D. Card from her pocket.

Roberta Rangel had given her an actual key to the puzzle.

Kori slid it threw the slot and the door clicked open as the switched to green.

Kori gently pushed down the door's sliver handle and slipped inside. It was a normal lab with computers and clean tables with bottles and flasks on top of them. The room was a bland white that gleamed unnaturally with only one wide window built into the wall.

She made her way over to an office in the back. Roberta's name was still located in the name slate. Then she once again used the I.D. card to open this door as well and slipped into the small office, locking the door behind her.

Roberta had only been dead for two days and yet all her things had been cleared from the office, all except for the computer.

Kori quickly turned it on and it loaded up. She went through files but everything had been deleted. Just as she was about to give up Kori went to the computers recycle bin and saw that some documents had survived someone's wipe of the computer.

She restored the files and attempted to open them. That's when she realized that these weren't files they were programs. They were locked programs.

She sighed and looked at the computer screen blankly. She wished she had brought Greg, the computer mastermind. The door to the lab started to open and Kori quickly reached into her bag. She knew a simple floppy disk couldn't possibly hold all these programs, but a flash drive could. Hopefully she could work it.

Footsteps sounded from the entrance of the lab and started to make their way towards her.

She inserted the flash drive and began to upload the files just as Greg had instructed her to do. She then quickly removed the flash drive and slid it back into her purse as the door to the office opened.

Two men came in and looked around the empty room.

" Bring it in," said one man to the other.

The other man wheeled in a lifter into the room as the other man quickly unhooked the computer and placed it on the lifter. After a few minutes they left with the computer.

Meanwhile Kori had looked upon them from against the ceiling. After they left she floated down and landed on the soft carpeting.

She had gotten the files before they had gotten the computer.

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" What do you _mean_ you lost them?!" demanded Charles as he slammed his fists down on the oak desk.

The Stranger replied calmly, " I lost them when the police came."

" To whom, may I ask did you loose them to?" Charles inquired darkly.

" Nightwing, but I'll get them back," The Stranger assured his boss.

" You'd be best to do so, because I can assure you: fail and I'll bury you so deep not even the worms will find you," Charles threatened.

The Stranger nodded silently and left the office.

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The elevator doors slid open and Kori stepped out, with a cup of coffee in her hand, and started to walk briskly towards her cubicle.

As she rounded the corner, and entered her cubicle Kori was met by the familiar face of Gotham's biggest playboy.

" Hey long time no see. Nice work environment, you could clean up a bit though," Richard said slyly.

" If this is a ploy to get me into bed with you, sitting in my chair and criticizing how I work isn't really good tact on your part," Kori said agitated.

" I'm sorry," he apologized, " I kept calling, and you never returned my calls. So I figured I'd just go straight to the source. Greg told me I could wait here."

" Great…now you're talking to my friends too," Kori moaned. She motioned for him to move, Richard stood up and bowed as she sat in the car. " Very funny wise guy. So what is it that you want?"

" Well two things: One I want to go out with you again tonight." Richard stated.

Kori raised an eyebrow, " Look the other night I only went out with you for the interview. So, unless you have any more to tell me, no more dates are necessary."

" Why can't we just go out on a date?" he asked playfully. " I'll behave, scouts honor."

Kori chuckled, " You're no more a scout than I'm a saint." She looked up at him. Richard leaned against the cubicle wall and smiled.

Smiling softly he said, " It'll be nice. Come and have dinner with me. I'm not trying to have sex with you, just genuine conversation."

"Alright. I'll meet you at Sopia at eight o'clock tonight. Don't be late," she answered turning to her computer. Richard smiled and tilted an invisible hat.

He left whistling.

Greg popped his head over the cubicle and winked, " I guess you're a hypocrite now."

Kori narrowed her eyes, " Revenge will be mine Greg, and when it comes it shall be shift."

He laughed, " You know you love me for doing it. You have to really put yourself out there Kori. No more hiding behind that mask of yours."

She rolled her eyes, " You have no idea."

"What's that?" Greg asked nodding to the flash drive she was now removing from her purse.

"This," she answered, "are program files I saved off Roberta Rangel's computer before it was dumped. They're locked. Can you open them?"

Greg snatched the flash drive from her hands and opened them on his computer. Kori looked on as he rapidly typed and winced.

" Kori, it's more than just a matter of me proclaimed 'open sesame'. The lock isn't the problem. It's encrypted. I can decode it but it may take a few days," Greg said looking up at her.

Kori sighed, " Do what have to do and get it done soon. Thanks Greg."

Greg smiled, "No problem." As she turned away he said, " Kori, how did you get this?"

She slowly turned back to him and said winking, " I have friends in high places."

This time Greg narrowed his eyes, " Well, tell your friends that breaking into a highly guarded facility is dangerous. These files are not meant to be discovered and a company like STAR will do anything to protect its dirty little secrets. Anything. Be careful."

Kori smiled, " I'll pass on the message."

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The traffic light flashed to yellow and Dick began to slow down. When he stopped he took out his cell phone and dialed a number

"Y'ellow?" asked a voice from the other end of the line.

"Roy, hey it's Dick. I need you do me a favor." Richard said.

" I guess I owe you one," said Roy's voice. " What can I do for you?"

"I need you to find out someone's identity for me," Richard said calmly.

There was a pause. "Who?"

Richard sighed and under his sunglasses tightened his eyes, "I think Starfire's alive and in town."

Roy sighed and ran his fingers trough his hair, " Man, you've got to let this go. She died a long time ago. Whoever this chick is, it's not her."

Richard grew aggravated, " Don't you think Bruce has been feeding me the exact same line, Roy?! Look I fought her last night and-."

"Whoa! Now you're fighting dead chicks?!"

" She's not dead! I don't know how she survived that car accident, but she did. I need to find her."

" So, you're looking for her alter ego? And then what Dick? Are you just going to go to her house, knock on the door and everything will be happily ever after? It's not going to work like that man. She fought you last night. She's been alive for fifteen years and hasn't contacted you in anyway. She hasn't contacted any of the Titans as far as we know. Obviously she does not want to be found, especially by you." Roy argued.

Richard was quiet and then whispered, " Roy, fifteen years ago the one thing that I ever loved… the one thing that I ever loved was lost to me. And it was my fault. I can't change the past. But, damnit, if this is my second chance, if only to say I'm sorry, I have to take it. Wouldn't you take it? I wished that I could hold her again, just once more."

"Richard, we all lose people in this business."

"You see, that's why I ran when I should've stayed."

Silence.

Then Roy said, "I'll see what I can do. But if you can get a DNA sample off this girl I'll run it against some of Starfire's DNA, okay?"

"Thanks man," Richard said.

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Sopia was the newest and most popular restaurant in town. Its décor was modern and sleek. The list to get into this first-class establishment was over a yearlong and it guests were mostly high-class players. This included Richard Grayson.

Kori wore a green gown that flowed to her feet and complimented her form. As she stepped out the taxi the photographers in front of the building looked up to see if a starlet had arrived. But they quickly went back to talking after discovering it was an ordinary woman.

Kori entered the lavish foyer and approached the host.

"Do you have a reservation?" a man about fifty with a well to do accent and mustache asked without looking up from his book.

"Yes, its under Grayson."

The man looked up with a shocked look. " Yes, yes! Mr. Grayson has already arrived! Please right this way madam."

She followed the now lively man to a table in the private section of the restaurant.

There the playboy sat slowly drinking champagne in a tuxedo. Across from him lay her place with a single red rose laid across the places settings.

Richard saw her and stood up and proceeded to pull out her chair.

She sat and the host quickly gave them the menu. Then with many "sirs" and "madams" left them.

Kori smiled and raised and eyebrow, "You clean up nicely."

"Only what years of training by Bruce can deliver," Richard winked. They ordered and talked while they ate.

" I like talking to you," Richard said. "It's easy."

"You'd be first to think so," said Kori.

"Well I'm not saying it's easy to get you to talk, but once you do…amazing. It's like there's more than there is on the surface to you." Richard commented.

"Same goes for you actually," Kori said, " and here I thought you were a shallow spoiled brat."

"People surprise you if you just let them in."

"Do you ever let anyone see those eyes of yours?"

Richard's hand automatically felt his sunglasses and his finger softly traced the rim. "Some people."

"Makes me wonder what secrets your keeping." Kori said smiling. " What is Richard Grayson's dark mystery? We all have one."

Richard leaned across the table towards her and she felt herself follow suit.

When their noses were barely touching he stopped. "You first."

"I can't," she whispered.

"Than how can I?" he asked.

"Maybe we can work something out." They moved in to touch their lips and all of the sudden the world around them ceased to exist. But it came back with a jolt.

Across the room the wall had exploded and people inside the restaurant dashed for the exits screaming and pushing.

"What the hell?" Richard said standing up.

The dust began to clear, a figure moved into the room from outside of the hole, and stood in the center of the debris.

"Fun, fun, fun! Fun with my gun!" screamed a high-pitched voice of a short-mole like man. His clothes were tan leather and he wore a funny looking furry hat on the top of his head. He took out a rifle from underneath his coat and began to shoot.

"Kori get down!" Richard shouted as he pushed the floor and covered her. The remaining people in the restaurant rushed to leave.

After the shooting stopped Kori stood up.

"Exit through the kitchen!" she heard Richard shout at her and then he was gone.

"Wait, Richard?" she called out but he was nowhere to be found. Giving up she did exit through the kitchen, but only to return.

Meanwhile the short odd-looking man began to tromp through the remains of the restaurant, snagging every available object and putting into a burlap sack.

"You know, stealing is against the law," a voice said from behind him. The Mole quickly turned but with kicked in the face by a black boot, the sack went flying.

The Mole stumbled trying to stand, " First I can't get reservations and now this!"

Nightwing drew hid descrina sticks while dodging bullets the Mole fired.

"No, no! Naughty, naughty Nightwing!" The Mole said as he quickly shot a weapon at Nightwing, which made him hang upside down by invisible ropes

Nightwing struggled to find his invisible ropes.

The Mole curiously wobbled over to him and said laughing, "Why, why, why! Isn't it Robin all grown up. Very interesting. You imprisoned me once. Damn teenager!"

"Now I remember you. You pesky son of a bitch." Nightwing said angrily.

"You'd forgotten!? Now, that hurts. That really hurts. Makes me want to ruffle some feathers!" The Mole shouted.

Nightwing fell to the floor and quickly stood up. He threw attacks at The Mole who dogged them and shot attacks back at him. They fought vigorously and finally The Mole had the upper hand. He used a levitating gun to lift Nightwing up and threw him across the room.

"Hahahaha! Pathetic!"

"Not so fast." Said the voice of a woman.

The Mole turned around. "And who might you be? Superheroes are like the herpes of this town!"

"Cute attempt at an analogy!" said Starfire as she entered. "Now I know why you've turned to robbing for a living."

The Mole grew red, " I didn't know birdie had a friend."

"Not exactly." A green aurora appeared around her hands and she fired relentlessly.

By this time Nightwing had stood up. He looked on as Starfire and The Mole fought each other. At one point she flew into the air, grabbed the Mole, and let him fall.

The Mole fell and crashed into a table. He moved no longer.

"Starfire." Nightwing said.

She turned and looked at him from her place in the air. "Figures you'd be here."

"Why did you help me?" he asked.

She sniffed at him, "I helped Gotham, not you. Same as always, just caught up in yourself."

"Star wait!" he shouted.

"My name was never Star!" she shouted back as she broke though the ceiling and flew away.

After she left he looked down on the unconscious Mole. In his hand were strands of red hair. He picked them up and had them sent to Roy.

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A little while later outside of the restaurant Richard looked frantically around for Kori.

He soon saw he across the street and rushed toward her. Much to her surprise he hugged her tightly.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "Where did you go?"

"I held him off so some other people could get out before Nightwing arrived." He lied. "So much for dinner."

Kori smiled, " I had a good time anyway."

The moon shone through the trees as they drove toward Richard's mansion. They approached the iron gates, which opened automatically. There was no conversation between the two as they drove up to the front of the house. Only the crushing gravel under the wheels of the car could be heard.

Richard stopped the car and turned off its motor. Then he walked over to Kori's side to the car and opened her door.

He took her hand in his and they walked to the front door of the mansion. Richard opened the creaking door slowly. Kori took off her coat and handed it to him.

" This place is pretty much huge," Kori commented as they walked toward the master staircase.

"It's been in Bruce's family for a while. Not my really my style, but I don't complain. You should see the basement!"

Kori laughed and asked, "Wait, is Bruce here?"

Richard shrugged, "Probably not. He's out late most of the time. God knows where."

The couple reached the third floor and proceeded to walk to Richard's bedroom.

He opened the door and did a playful bow. Kori just rolled her eyes and walked in.

"Wow," she said, " It's very…."

"Boring," Richard filled in. "I'm not here much, so there's no point in really decorating it."

Kori looked around at the fine fixings in the room and the large furniture. The décor was most definitely classic and lavish. "It's classy though. Perhaps, it will rub off on you."

Richard walked over to the window and pulled the draperies back, "Cute. But the one thing I love about this room is that I can always fill it with light." Moonlight now slightly illuminated the room.

He walked towards her and stopped when he was in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and said, "I believe we where here in the restaurant."

He then leaned in and kissed her softly. She kissed him back and they moved towards the bed.

"I'm kind of nervous," Richard admitted.

Kori smiled, " Gotham's biggest playboy is nervous?"

Richard put his forehead against hers and pulled away saying, "I don't do this often."

"Really?!"

Richard chuckled, "I am what the tabloids make me. But really, I normally just don't have enough time, or energy, to bring girls home every night…or any night."

"You're right. People can surprise you," Kori said softly kissing him again.

They sat on the silk sheets kissing for a few minutes when Richard stopped.

"I think I can take these off now," Richard whispered as removed his sunglasses and placed them on the nightstand.

Kori's eyes widened as she proclaimed, "Your eyes!"

He looked at her with crystal blue eyes with a solid black iris, gleaming with a hint of green that seemed to pierce her very being. She had only seen those eyes once before….

He leaned in to kiss her again and she pulled away. Standing up, she ran her fingers through her hair and looked at the carpet.

"Kori what's wrong?"

She looked back at him with teary eyes, "I just realized something…"

He stood and quickly walked over to her. He reached for her hand and she tried to pull away but he took hers in his. "What?"

She looked into his eyes, "I just—I just have to go. I can't do this."

He pulled her closer to him. "Please don't go." She looked up at him and brushed her cheek softly.

"Your name is Richard," she whispered softly.

"What does that mean?" he asked kissing her neck.

"I…I just like that name." Kori said slightly smiling. _I never knew._ Then she let him lead her, again, toward the bed.

A few hours later Kori woke up in Richard's arms. She looked up at her lover who was sleeping soundly. She positioned her body so she would be face to face with him.

She stared for a few minutes and gently ran her fingers though his hair. "Robin."

Yesterday if someone would've told her she was going to sleep with Richard Grayson she would've laughed. Yesterday, if someone told her that Richard Grayson was really Robin…

"I still love you," she whispered. "I'm sorry." Robin slept on.

But now she had to go.

She unraveled herself from him, slipped out from under the warmth of the covers, and slipped on her green dress, which rested across the room.

Before leaving she wandered back over to where Robin slept and kissed his lips. He smiled in his sleep and turned away. Then she made her way out the door.

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_8/16/07_

_Dear Diary, _

_My lovelies met me when I arrived home today. Unfortunately for Oreo, Snappy ate his dinner again so he was very cranky. _

_Ma called. She's back in home in New York now after her trip from Rino and apparently she brought me a surprise back. It's probably another linen to add to my collection. When will she realize that those linens will never emerge from my closet? I'm never getting married. Marty was the one and now he's married with three children. My job is my marriage; I chose it over him didn't I? _

_Speaking of work, an interesting occurrence happened today. I was working when Charles entered my lab. You can imagine my surprise, since every order I've received from him came directly from an envelope. _

_'You've done well' he said. 'It has worked.'_

_Well, I thanked him and he purposed that I take a paid vacation. Of course I declined. _

_It's ironic isn't it? Here I am developing a micro- technology that will insure an infant's future when I can't have children. I take pride and joy; however, in knowing that lives will be saved because of my work, in that way I am a mother. _

_I must admit…despite my happiness in discovering the mRNA that will properly transfer, I'm a bit weary on what happens next. _

_Just the other day a man contacted me by the name of Dubose. He asked me several perturbing questions about my work. Well, since he was one of the investors I told him what my role was but said, truthfully, that once I discovered how to create the mRNA I gave it on to someone else. That someone else, whoever they are, goes from there. _

_He assured me that all was well, but the conference disturbed me. Who was this man telling me how to do my job? I told him so and then he expressed something even more interesting. _

_I won't write down the entire conversation but will leave you with the results: I think I'll leave the company soon. I feel like the entire truth hasn't been made clear to me. Whatever this truth is I'm not exactly sure I want to know. Dubose mentioned someone kind of underground room, but I've never seen one before… I just don't know what to believe!_

_…But… _

_I sent a copy of my files to him. Was that a mistake?_

_I think it was Diary! What will happen if they somehow how found out and traced it to me? But, I must reason! What are they going to do? Kill me? I think not. _

_I'll just leave. I'll just hand in my resignation tomorrow. That's what I'll do and I'll do it straight and put this whole mess behind me. Maybe I'll move back home…_

_A sense of dread has come over me. All I want is for someone to tell me that everything is all right and perhaps I can make it go away. _

_I'm leaving Gotham tomorrow night. I must. _

_Hopes for a better tomorrow, _

_Roberta Rangel_

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Kori wiped a tear that began to slide down her cheek. There was no sound in the taxi as it drove back toward the inner city.

She leaned her head back against the black leather seat and closed her eyes, inhaled, and exhaled. She lay like that for a few minutes with her finger tracing the stitching of the seating next to her.

Maybe she was just paranoid. There was a chance that she completely took the eye thing the wrong way and ran with it. She hadn't been intimate with anyone in a long time, she could've been just freaking out.

The thing was: she wasn't being paranoid.

Those eyes, those crystal blue eyes. No one had those eyes, except for one person and she had only seen them once. He had Robin's eyes and no one had Robin's eyes. No one.

It had to be him. It would make sense too, especially tonight at the restaurant. Nightwing had gotten there in a suspiciously short amount of time.

But did he know who she was?

No, he didn't know. She was sure of it. Nightwing had followed her all over town trying to talk and if he knew she was next to him in bed, he would've said something. All if a sudden she purposely slammed her head into the back of the headrest of the passenger seat.

"Hey lady take it easy on the upholstery!" yelled the cab driver.

She had slept with him, with Richard, with Robin. She knew who he was when she decided to go through with it too.

Anger began to come over her as she thought more and more about it. How could she not realize who he was to begin with? Now everything was at stake. Robin couldn't know who she was, he just couldn't. There were too many lies, too much history between them.

Now she had to go back to laying low. It was just a matter of time before he found out her secret. He probably already had someone tracking down Starfire. Why was every meaningful relationship she had so complicated? Better yet, why was every meaningful relationship she had with the same guy?

Just as she was about to scream her cell phone rang. The caller ID read: Greg.

"Hey Greg what's up?" she asked answering the phone.

"Hey I'm glad you're awake. I know that its three A.M. and your probably cuddled up in billionaire boy's arms, but I think you really need to get over to the office," Greg said urgently.

Kori sat up, " Did you decode it?"

"You bet I did, hurry," then there was a click.

Kori stuffed her phone back into her purse and said to the driver, "Change of plans. I'm going to need you to take a right."

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 

Meanwhile back at the Wayne Mansion another cell phone began to ring.

Richard rolled over to feel for Kori and sat up immediately when he felt no one next to him. Ignoring the cell phone, he slipped back on his boxers, got up and looked around the bedroom. Her things were missing and she was nowhere to be found.

"Crap!" he moaned. She had slipped away while he slept.

The cell phone began to ring again and he walked back over to the nightstand.

"Hello?" he said answering it.

"Hey Rich it's Roy," said the voice on the other end.

Richard sighed and sat down on the bed, "Hey man."

"Okay tested that DNA sample you sent me and I have got major news!" Roy exclaimed spinning around in his leather computer chair inside of his office at the club.

"And?!"

"It's her alright. But we have another problem." Roy replied.

"Okay and…?"

"Are you ready for this?"

"On with it Roy!" Richard demanded.

"Okay, so I compared the hair sample with Starfire's DNA sample taken just after she came to Earth and it's perfect match. But, when I ran it in the local files another name came up. Kori Anders." Roy said hurriedly.

"What?" exclaimed Richard.

"Exactly my reaction! So I went back to sixteen years ago. Kori Anders has an old police file and had given DNA samples in another city after she was arrested. Turns out Kori had some drug problems when she was younger. I then went to Jump City's file of her and found another sample taken after she was arrested fro breaking an entry while writing a story for the newspaper. I compared the two. They're not the same. So, this chick was walking around and going on dates with you wasn't Kori Anders.

I looked deeper into her file and found out a few more things about her past. And here's the kicker: fifteen years ago Kori Anders was involved in a car accident. That was interesting so I looked at the date: same date as Starfire's accident. Now I was getting pretty freaked out by all these coincidence. Turns out if you connect the dots it's not a coincidence at all.

I looked in the Jump City police report and confirmed that there were two passengers in the taxi the night: Starfire and Kori Anders. Both of the injured were taken to the same hospital where Starfire was declared dead and Kori Anders survived.

Then, I few hours ago I had Starfire's body exhumed. —."

"You dug up a body?!" Richard interrupted.

"I'm not done," Roy said continuing, " So I had a DNA test run from the body and guess what? The DNA is a perfect match to that taken from Kori Anders sixteen years ago. And! According to toxicology report "Starfire" had never been pregnant. There's no way it could be her!"

"So you're saying that Kori Anders really is…"

" Starfire! She completely stole the other chick's identity!" Roy exclaimed. " And this is way I love what I do."

Richard laid across the bed in complete shock. _All this time she had been right in front of him. She had been right…_

"Oh my God Roy she was just here! I have to go find her!" Richard exclaimed jumping up from the bed. "Thanks." He hung up the phone and quickly dressed. He didn't know where she was but he'd find her.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS 

The elevator doors opened and Kori stepped out. The building was completely dark and from the elevator she could see light coming from one cubicle.

Greg sat staring at the computer screen and looked up when she came. "You look nice."

She came in and sat on his desk with the green dress still on. "It's been a long night. What do you have?"

Greg leaned back in his chair and looked at her, "Kori, walk away. Just walk away."

She titled her head and frowned, "Is it that bad?"

"I'm saying that it isn't your problem, if it's a problem at all." Greg said.

She nodded determinedly, "That probably means that I'll take it up. Show me Greg."

Greg frowned and turned the computer screen toward her, then proceeded to show her the program files.

Kori's eyes grew wider and by the end of the presentation she leaned back. "Okay…"

"Yeah…" Greg said rubbing his hair with his right hand.

"Somehow she got those files," Kori whispered. " And was idiot enough to store them on her computer. They killed her for it."

Both sat in silence for a few minutes and only the ticking of the clock above the elevator could be heard.

"Save it on a flashdrive," Kori ordered standing up.

"Kori, I--." Greg started but stopped when Kori looked at him. He took out a flashdrive, giving up the struggle, and saved the file.

She took it from him and put it in her purse. " Don't tell anyone about this. You probably should leave town for a little while just in case they've traced this, which they probably have since they killed Roberta for it. I'm sorry for involving you Greg, I'm just sorry."

Greg smiled sadly, "Never say sorry. You can come with me and we'll leave together, okay?"

"No Greg, I have to take care of this." Kori answered solemnly.

"Take care of what? This is going way beyond a news report now. You need to go!" Greg exclaimed. "I'm not letting you stay!"

"Greg please!," she shouted. He sat down and looked up at her. "Sometimes the people who can do something remain silent and let it happen. And they've done it for way too long. I've done it for way too long. I've to stand up now, or I'll never stand up. For so long I've been denying that part of me exists, but it does. I can't keep ignoring it. Sometimes I totally forget where I came from. I have to do this."

Greg nodded slowly, "I quit pretending to understand your madness a long time ago, so I'll just say: be careful."

Kori laughed, "Thank-you Greg. For being my friend."

She hugged him tight and turned to leave. Then Greg asked, "Will do this alone?"

Kori turned back and looked him in the eye with a determination he's never seen before, "I think I'm going to call a few old friends."

Then she quickly disappeared down the hall. As she left Greg heard the elevator ding as it closed and made out the lighted numbers begin to descend. He slumped back into his chair and looked at the computer in front of him.

He quickly wiped the files and loaded up the Alaska Airline web page.

He looked toward the elevator once more and said to no one in particular, "I wish this town had more heroes like you, Kori."

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

It's been awhile!

Life has just gotten so consuming in other areas and I ended up drifting away from this project. For that I apologize.

I still hope I have some readers! And I promise I'll crank out another chapter as soon as I can!

Please no flames!

And by the way: the Twilight series is most awesome! I definitely recommend it. Stephenie Meyers is the author and she is really good!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Till next time,

Hay-hay


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